Shadows of the past
by Lupineborn
Summary: After meeting a mysterious woman, Lorelei, Jane's finally found a way to get close to Red John. He's gonna need Lisbon's assistance for that but when he gets to CBI, she's nowhere to be found. Lisbon has returned to Chicago in order to deal with some unfinished business of her past. What has happened? Plot twist on 4x24 and further. This fanfic is co-written by me and oneiroitane.
1. Killing and missing

**Hello, guys. This is a fiction co-written by me and my friend, oneiroitane (**** u/6431712/). We've been willing to write this one for a long time and it's the first time I write a story with someone else. It's a first attempt of our partnership, we really hope you like it :) let us know what you think in the reviews.**

**The story is set during 4x24. Jane and Lisbon never met in that episode, and the plot is not focused on the CBI office scenes. The story is based on what happened in Las Vegas, and on a secret case of Teresa Lisbon.**

* * *

_Patrick Jane and Lorelei Martins meet at the casino in order to discuss about Red John. Patrick had been looking for an opportunity like this, to finally get close to the man that haunted his mind for so many years. Now, such an opportunity presented itself to him, through Lorelei. She had offered him the chance to make a new start._

Jane was sitting across the table, with Lorelei on the other side. He looked thoughtful as the gears of his mind span. With his gaze still on the floor, he took a break from biting his thumbnail and spoke in a low tone.

"I've been thinking about what you said about your friend."

"Yes," answered Lorelei, in a calm and composed manner.

"You said that he could help me start a new life." He paused.

"M-hm…" she responded softly. Patrick was looking straight in her eyes now and spoke again.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"A new identity. Money. A place to live. A job, if you want one."

"And I-I do what in exchange?"

Her face warmed up and her smile widened. "Accept his friendship."

He looked at her again and his expression showed some confusion and disbelief.

"It's that easy?"

"Sure. He'll want to speak to you first… make sure you're on the level, if that's alright."

"…yeah."

"And you'll need to bring him a gift… to show your respect for him."

"What kind of gift?" He asked curiously. Lorelei blinked one or two times and spoke in a perfectly composed tone.

"Well… Teresa Lisbon's dead body would be the perfect thing."

For a moment, Patrick's expression froze, then it turned into a nervous smile and he chuckled with some hints of shock.

"That's absurd…" he looked at her, secretly hoping she was just messing with his head. Some seconds of silence passed by and when he understood she was serious, his smile gradually fainted from his face. That moment, she smiled and shook her head.

"What did you tell me…? There is no right or wrong. There's just stuff that happens."

Patrick shook his head as he spoke, then leaned closer on the table. "No, no, there has to be something else."

Lorelei sighed and shook her head too. "I can't think of anything else that would please him."

"Well, I can't do that."

She placed her hand on his and talked in a calm and comforting tone.

"I understand you're not there yet. But look at it from _his_ point of view. How else would he know you've truly had a change of heart?"

He didn't answer. His gaze remained pinned on the table as a parade of thoughts and chaos reigned in his mind. She got up and, before leaving, she left a small piece of paper with a number on.

"This is my number. Think about it." On the last words, she had leaned closer and her voice echoed softly in his ear.

* * *

CBI office. The elevator doors open and Jane steps out, walking in a quick and slightly nervous pace. Agent Wainwright approaches him, barely managing to greet him by calling his name, but Patrick hurryingly passes by him, stating a simple "not now." He heads to Lisbon's office, knocks on the door twice and there is no answer. He slightly opens the door and he surprisingly finds she is not there.

"Jane…!"

He turned to the familiar voice of a certain redhead and saw her standing next to Cho and Rigsby, all practically staring at him with their jaws hanging open. Patrick walked towards them in an easier pace, as the other two members of the office spoke his name in greeting.

"It's good to see you all." He paused for a bit. "How are you?"

Cho answered, as he took a quick glimpse of the others, then looked back at Jane.

"We're good. How are you?"

"Never better… never better," he said with a slight smile. He looked around and his eyes wondered in every inch of the room. Rigsby talked.

"Looking for something?"

"Where is Lisbon?"

Cho answered in his always plain tone. "She is not here."

Jane rolled his eyes and spoke again.

"Well, I can see that. Where is she? She wouldn't pick up the phone."

Cho spoke as he returned his attention to the paperwork in front of him.

"She took an indefinite leave of absence two months ago. She went to Chicago."

Patrick's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Rigsby spoke, folding his arms together and leaning back on his chair.

"It's kind of a long story… and a bit strange too."

Patrick took a seat next to Cho and leaned on the front, supporting his elbows on his knees.

"Explain to me."

Cho granted him his request.

"A man paid her a visit about two months ago. Then she got really upset and stormed out without speaking a word to any of us. We had to trace her phone to find out that she went to Chicago. We haven't communicated with her for a while now and she hasn't shown any interest in letting us know of what happened."

"We worry about her, though," said Van Pelt with a troubled expression. "Why are you looking for her?"

Patrick dropped his gaze for a few moments as he spontaneously played with his ring on his finger and the parade of thoughts was on again. Soon, his pause ended and he spoke softly. "Never mind."

He raised his gaze and smiled as he got up and placed his hand on Cho's shoulder.

"I'm leaving. It was good to see you, guys. Take care of each other."

* * *

He walked out of the office, bearing even more questions than before, not sure of what to do next. And that was something upsetting for a man like Patrick Jane, who always had a plan. He walked in a calmer pace as the gears span in his troubled mind.

Should he go to Chicago and find Lisbon? Should he try to convince Lorelei to provide him with the information he needed? What exactly happened two months ago? And who was the man Cho spoke of?

**In the next chapter, we will see what happened to Lisbon two months ago. Stay tuned.**


	2. A death in the family

_Two months ago._

CBI. Lisbon is busy as ever in her office but that would be the last thing she's concerned about. She sits at her desk and stares at that pile of paperwork in front of her but her mind wanders to Jane. It has been 4 months since she had last seen him, and there was still no hint of his whereabouts. No calls, no messages, no trace at all.

A wave of anger and distress rises in her, again. She keeps checking on her phone now and then, hoping to see his name popping up on the screen but it's no use. It has been a month since she stopped calling him. Every time her phone rings, she momentarily lights up and hopes it is him. When she realizes that's not the case, she hopes that at least she won't get any ill news about him. She hopes he is safe and well, so that one day he will be back. Though, here's the question: does she really want him back after all she has been through?

Yes, she does. It wasn't long ago that she realized she is in love with that stupid man. At first she tried to deny it. She couldn't believe it, how could she? They were partners. The case with her ex-fiancée, Greg, gave her hope. She thought Jane was growing jealous of him. She remembers being in the car with the blond and he teased her about how she was "very busy with Greg," even avoiding her gaze.

Thought, it must have been only something her mind made up. She felt stupid that she ever thought something like that. She was never Jane's type. She didn't have the dazzling looks of Erica Flynn or Christina Frye. She was just his sidekick, his pawn in his game with Red John. He doesn't care about her, and he proved it clearly, disappearing like this.

At some point, the reality struck back in her mind and she shook her head to vanish those thoughts. Overthinking of what has been and what could have been is no use now, and she still needs to finish the paperwork. Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence and Rigsby half-opened it.

"Boss, we have the brother-in-law in the interrogation room 2. What do you want us to do?"

"Take Cho and talk to him." Her voice was kind of tired and low.

"Alright, boss," he said and he left as hurryingly as he entered.

After a few moments of silence, Van Pelt enters too.

"Hey boss… a detective from Chicago is here and he wants to see you. His name is Nathaniel Matthew. He mentioned something about a case… should I let him in?"

Lisbon's brothers immediately popped up in her mind. She told Van Pelt to send the man to her office.

She stood up from her chair and fixed her jacket. She waited for a few moments and finally, the door opened. It was a man in his mid-thirties, he was tall, athletic and attractive, with brown hair and dark blue eyes. His posture indicated restrain and anxiety.

The moment he saw her, his lips curled into a smile and he offered his hand for a handshake. She responded with a kind smile and shook his hand. Then, with a nod she indicated the chair in front of her desk. She looked at Van Pelt, who was still standing by the door, and she asked the redhead to leave them and close the door behind.

She took a deep breath and sat down. Once she made herself comfortable, she locked her hands in front of her on the desk and asked the man if the case was related to her brothers.

"No, agent Lisbon. I'm not here about your family, don't worry. I work in a case about a gangster named George Montgomery. Ever heard of him?" He asked in a soft tone.

"Yes… I've heard about him. He is the owner of many night clubs in Chicago and if I remember correctly, he is involved with drugs too," she responded in a mild serious tone.

"Well, you are correct. For many years I've been trying to make a case against him but he is smart. He knows how to cover his tracks and leave no traces of his dirty work, and he is in contact with some powerful people."

Lisbon nodded the whole time, listening carefully. Then, she spoke in a low tone with hints of confusion in her voice.

"I still don't understand what _I_ have to do with this, and why you came to me."

"This is the hard part. I thought it would be better if I discussed this matter with you in person, rather than during a phone call. Agent Lisbon, I own a personal journal of a man called Mark Steiner… the person who killed your mother in a car accident 25 years ago."

A wave of shivers ran down Lisbon's spine, and extended to the rest of her body. She fixed her position on her chair and tried to remain cool and composed.

"Yes, I remember him. He got arrested and sent to prison. He died after 3 years. I still don't see what that has to do with me now, detective."

"I'll get there soon. The reason that journal is in my possession now, after all these years, is because his daughter was in abroad for many years. She returned a year ago. At first, she hesitated to give us the journal. She was afraid. Anyway, this journal contains information about the car incident and about why he did it."

Lisbon's expression froze at the last words and she looked deeply in his eyes, bearing hints of an unraveling concern. His next words confirmed what she didn't want to admit she understood. He spoke softly and in a low tone.

"Agent Lisbon… that wasn't an accident. It was planned. He murdered your mother."

Lisbon was now officially shocked. She wanted to say something but her jaw just hang open and her mind raced in the case's details and with images of her mother. It was all too messy to make something out of that chaos in her head. For a while reality seemed to slow down, then she snapped out of it and tried to compose herself again. She managed to speak some words.

"Why would he do that…?"

The detective drew a deep breath and replied.

"Your mother was a nurse. Montgomery had been shot back then in a gang fight. He needed help but he also had to be careful, to avoid leaving traces behind. He couldn't be too careless, even thought he eventually messed up. He blackmailed your mother to help him recover, otherwise he would hurt her family. She nursed him for a few weeks."

Lisbon looked at him with widened eyes and a mixture of shock and a slight disbelief at the information that was all new to her.

"If she saved his life, why did he kill her?"

"As I said, he got careless. He has on heavy medication and sometimes had hallucinations. He was afraid that your mother would decide to man up someday and talk to the police about him and everything she had heard from his business, so he decided to take her out of the picture. Steiner had cancer, so he needed the money for his little daughter. He wanted to secure her financially. I guess he wanted his daughter to know the truth, so he wrote this journal."

Lisbon's gaze remained fixed on the desk for a few moments, as she processed what she heard. The detective let her took her time to deal with that. It was all too much for her. Shortly, Lisbon spoke.

"Do you have it here with you?"

"No… but I have a copy of it, and of the case as well."

"Could I take a look at those? I want to be a part of this."

"That's the other reason I came to you, agent Lisbon. I need your help."

"What do you need exactly?"

"Like I said, Montgomery has some powerful connections and people are afraid of him. I can't even get a warrant to search his property. My partner doesn't want to play any part in this case. I'm alone in this and I had been hoping you would help me catch this man. I read your file and I must say I'm impressed."

Lisbon slightly narrowed her eyes while looking at him, examining his expression.

"Why do you want him so bad, detective? Is there anything personal to it?"

"Maybe, there is. But that's a story for some other time. So… what do you think? Will you join me? Are we together in this?" He asked eagerly.

Lisbon paused for a second, then spoke.

"Yes, but I have three terms."

"I'm listening."

"First, you will leave my brothers out of this. I don't want them to be a part of it and I don't want to see them hurt."

"I understand. Next?"

"Second, no lies, no secrets, we'll be equal partners in this. No backing off from any side."

"Sounds reasonable."

"And third, no killing. We'll catch him and bring him to justice. Do you agree?"

"If I wanted to kill him I would've been in prison now, wouldn't I?" He answered with a smirk.

"Okay then. Please, give me one or two days to take care of a few things here and we'll be on our way."

"Okay, agent," he said with a smile. They stood up and got ready. "Looking forward to work with you. Give me a call when everything's settled," he said and he gave her his card.

"Thank you Mr. Matthew."

"Please, just Nathan… like my friends call me."

She smiled and her voice warmed up a bit.

"And you may call me Teresa."

"Okay, Teresa. Really glad to meet you. Hopefully, this case is going to end well and without any loss."

"Indeed."

They exchanged one last smile and he left her office.

* * *

Wainwright's office.

"Sir, I need to leave. In all these years I have never taken a day off an I think I deserve this," said Lisbon to her chief in a serious and kind of nervous tone.

"Agent, it's not that simple. We already lost Jane, if you leave too, there will be chaos in this office!"

Lisbon tried to calm herself and talk as composedly as she could.

"Sir… my team is good. They don't need me here, and Cho will make a fine leader."

"I said no. Forget it," the chief answered with a stern expression. Lisbon paused for a moment and sighed.

"Then you're giving me no choice but to resign."

Wainwright's eyes widened and he spoke in a quick and upset tone.

"What? No. No way. You are one of our finest agents!"

She didn't respond, instead she gave him that intense look and waited for his decision. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Fine. Take your time, do what you have to do and come back whenever you're done. Is this about Jane?"

"What? No… it's not about him at all." Her expression saddened a bit at the mention of him, as familiar emotions of yearning slightly rose in her.

"Alright… I just asked. Now go prepare your things and keep me up to date. I want to know where you are and when you'll be back."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

After that, she left the office without even saying goodbye. She didn't want her team to get involved in this, cause even if she had asked them not to, they would try to help her anyway. They had always been her loyal friends. After all, she had a plane to catch.

* * *

**We hope you like the turn of events. On the next chapter we'll see the reunion of Jane and Lisbon in Chicago.**


	3. Reunion

**Hello everyone! I wanted to apologize for taking so long to upload this. My friend had the scenario ready days ago but I always take long to process the story. Huge credits to my partner, oneiroitane, cause all the awesome ideas of the story are hers. The next chapter's scenario is ready too, so it will take less to complete. I also wanted to thank all of you for your support, and also the guests for their beautiful reviews, since we can't reply to them via PM.**

* * *

_1 day before the reunion._

Lisbon's POV**  
**Two months have passed since the day I met detective Matthew. After that, my life has completely changed. I left CBI, I moved to Chicago, and now I live in a terrible warehouse, collecting clues and following the man who 25 years ago took my mother away from us, took our childhood and eventually, took my father's smile and will for life.

At the age of 12 I had to become a mother for my brother, as well as the protector of the family, the one who worked to keep him fed. I can barely feel anything in me. Everything in me is broken. I had managed to make peace with my past, and now it comes back to haunt me like this, to bring me back to a time I emotionally was a mess.

I feel awful. I left the bureau without saying anything to my team, not even "goodbye." They are like family to me and their calls and messages are really touching, but I really don't know what to say to them. To let them know of the true reason of my departure would only make them want to come here and help me, I am sure of that. But I don't want them to risk their jobs, or lives, for me. All I can do is reading their messages and crying. How can I ever face them, when all of this ends? Can I really earn their trust again?

First they lost Jane, and now, they lost me. We both just disappeared, leaving no trace or explaining why. I look at myself in the mirror and I realize I have become another version of Jane. No personal life, living in a dark, dusty room, all alone. Oh my god… everything I ever told him came back at me. But, no. We are not the same. I never put the team in danger and risks, just to prove myself right, using them with all those tricks and lies. I am honest and open to Nathan. We have established a true partnership, based on sincerity.

Montgomery knows about Nathan's investigation, but he doesn't know about me. I try to maintain a low profile, so that my brother will not get in trouble. It's easier to move and investigate without his eyes fixed on me all the time.

* * *

_20 hours before the reunion._

Lisbon is sitting quietly on her couch, focused on the laptop in front of her. She browses through the photos from her last stakeout. Nathan comes in, carrying a plate of food, and a folder in his other hand.

"Any news?" He asked in a casual tone.

"Nothing so far. They are cautious. I tried to follow Andrew Rallis, Montgomery's right hand, but I lost him on the way. Damn traffic." She exhales lightly. Her gaze turns to Nathan and immediately examines his hands. "Did you find anything? What's this folder?"

"This is for another operation. We are close to arrest Peggy Prodz. She is a drug dealer and she owns a small meth lab too. She's one of Montgomery's people."

Lisbon takes a bite of the meal and talks between breaks of hurryingly chewing.

"Yeah, I have heard of her. I thought she lived in Australia."

"Yes… she is like a ghost. The Australian police is after her for many years and she tried to expand her business here, a few months ago. That was her worst mistake," he said with a grin.

"Why?"

"I've talked to you about Kate Jackson. She has managed to get in her organization and she has acquired much valuable information. She has gained her trust. Before that, we didn't even know how she looked like. We didn't own a photo of her. We only knew her name, which is not the real one, we knew that she is blond with long curly hair, and that she is 35 years old. She hides behind the people who serve her, and she gets through by emails or phone calls."

Lisbon processes the information, nodding at times. "So, no one has ever met her? Not even Montgomery?"

"No. He has only met with her employees. Kate said that they communicated through email, and they are going to meet soon, in order to discuss about some business plan."

"Interesting… may I see the folder? I might have an idea. Give me some time to think about it and I'll let you know."

"Of course, anything you want." His serious expression warms up. "How are you?"

"I'm fine… obviously," she responds, trying to look cool.

"When I entered, you looked kind of… lost in your thoughts. Even melancholic. Is something wrong?"

Lisbon pauses for several seconds and relaxes her shoulders, then starts talking in a less vivid tone.

"I was thinking about my team. They sent me another message today. I feel terribly for not talking to them, for keeping them in the dark."

"Why don't you tell them, then?"

"Because they'll come here. It's too dangerous and I don't want to see them hurt. Rigsby is going to be a father in a few weeks. He can't leave Sarah."

"You don't need to tell them the reason you are here. They just want to know you're fine. They worry about you, as you do about them. Don't cut off with the people who love you, Teresa. I did it once, and now I have nothing but the revenge I long for… and you. I don't have anybody else. Talk to them. You will feel better." He looks at her with a warm smile.

"I… I'm just scared. I don't know how to handle it."

"Just follow your heart. Everything else will find a way to be. Trust me."

They exchanged warm smiles silently for a moment. Then, Matthew got off the couch he had leaned onto.

"Anyway… I must go now. Try to rest a little, okay? If you need anything, just call me."

"Thanks, Nathan. You too. Goodnight," she said with a warm smile.

"Goodnight, Teresa," he says with one last smile and leaves.

Lisbon sits quietly on her chair for a few moments, thinking and maintaining that smile. Then, her gaze falls on her cellphone. She takes it with hesitant moves at first. She selects one of her contacts and calls. For a couple of seconds, she waits for the other end to pick up. She clears her voice and makes sure of sounding calm, even though there are hints of nervousness in her. Finally, they answer, and her expression warms up at the sound of that familiar, friendly voice.

"Hello, Van Pelt…"

* * *

_6 hours before the reunion._

Jane's POV  
What the hell is going on? Why has Lisbon gone to Chicago? Is this one of Red John's games?

It's been 6 months since the last time I saw her. Since my fake breakdown and departure from CBI. I still remember the sad expression, at that moment that the elevator's doors closed between us. A part of me wanted me to go hug her and tell her everything. But I left. Every step I took farther from her, was a step closer to darkness. She is the only light in my life. She is the most decent, pure person I have ever met.

Without her, I would never work in the CBI. I would probably be dead, or back in the asylum. When I am with her, I feel loved, warm, alive. Without her, I feel vulnerable, incomplete. Her messages were the only thing that kept me going. When I arrived to CBI, I couldn't wait for the moment I would hold her in my arms and breathe in her unique scent. The scent of love, of home.

But she had left. She moved to Chicago with a man named Matthew. Nobody has heard from her and I really worry about her. I still don't know how I found myself in a flight, travelling to Chicago.

* * *

The flight felt like lasting forever. I didn't know where to find Lisbon, so I went to her brother, Stan. He seems nice, though he made clear he doesn't like me. He gave me her current address and I took a cab to head there.

About half an hour later, the cab drops me off in an isolated place, at the edge of the city. I wander and find myself outside of an old warehouse. Without speaking a word, I pay for the ride and head towards the door. I knock a few times and wait. After several minutes pass, I decide to break in.

The place is dark and I find a switch to turn on the lights. There's a huge board in front of me. I take a close look and I see there are photographs and several papers with dates on, pinned on it, just like the boards we used to have on CBI.  
I also noticed a sofa with a small low end table in front of it, there was also a sleeping bag and a small kitchen with a fridge and a microwave. The rest of the room is full of old boxes and a door which leads to a small bathroom.

So, Lisbon is here to work on a case. Interesting. I focus my attention on the board, specifically on a photo of a woman. I am left speechless. I recognize the woman from an old picture in Lisbon's apartment. It's her mother. Why is her mother's photo on this board? Next to that, I see the picture of a beautiful young woman, around the age of 17, with long brown hair and dark eyes.

My trail of thoughts ends when I hear the sound of a car from outside. I quickly turn off the lights and hide behind some boxes in the corner, and wait. The door opens and Lisbon comes in, with a man beside her, and they talk. She takes off her jacket and throws it on the couch along with her purse. Then, she turns to the man and speaks.

"Nathan, thank you for this lovely evening. I really needed that drink."

"My pleasure. You seem more relaxed and cheered up from yesterday," he said with a smile.

"Yes, indeed. I followed your advice. Last night, I contacted my team. Not all of them, of course, only Van Pelt. It was nice."

"Did you tell her why you are here?"

"No. Of course, she asked, but I avoided the question. We spoke about the last two months, about CBI and other stuff. It helped me relax. She told me that everything is okay with them, that there are no hard feelings. She even told me she would help me in case I need anything."

"That's nice. See? I told you everything was going to be okay." They exchanged smiles. "Anyway, it's late… we both have a busy day ahead of us. I guess I should leave," he said in a hesitant and soft tone, looking deeply in her eyes.

"Yes… you are probably right. I promise to inform you of my thoughts about the plan tomorrow. I need to sort out a few details first."

"I trust you, Teresa. I really do," he says with a soft smile and leans closer, giving Lisbon a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

Lisbon stays still with a surprised expression on her face, and before she has the chance to speak, he leaves.

The door closes behind him and I remain hidden behind the boxes. It's obvious that this Nathan is close to Lisbon, but I didn't expect _that_ close. Lisbon seems to be surprised by his intentions but I still can't believe this man kissed my Lisbon. I don't like this.

Before I get the chance to come out, I see Lisbon unbuttoning her shirt. I quickly restrain myself and stay hidden, unable to take my eyes off of her. She throws her shirt on a chair. I can see her bra, covering softly her breasts. She kicks off her shoes and takes off her socks and pants. Now she is standing in my sight with nothing but her underwear on. I feel my mouth going dry and I drink in her sight. I can't believe this.

She lets her hair fall on her shoulders. I always had a thing with her hair. Then, she carefully removes her bra and panties… and I just lose it. I can see her in her naked glory. She is more beautiful than I ever imagined. Her beauty is superior to any imagination and fantasy. I remain frozen in my place and she goes to the bathroom. I take a deep breath to calm myself and leave cautiously, stepping out of the warehouse before she gets the chance to catch me and know I had been watching her.

I can't recover from what I saw yet. I take a few deep breaths and use every kind of mental exercise I know of in order to calm myself, but nothing works. My mind is still there, with her. I imagine her in the shower and I feel the urge to run back and love her right now. This woman is so beautiful and sexy, without even trying.

I wait for several minutes so that she finishes her shower, while calming myself. Then, I knock on her door. A few moments pass and she opens. She wears a large jersey and her hair is still wet. Her eyes widen at my sight and I give her my wide, charming smile. I close in and hug her, holding her closely to my chest, as I bury my face in her hair and breathe her scent in. She smells like vanilla and cinnamon, as always, and it feels like home.

"I missed you," I said in a low tone.

"I missed you too."

A few seconds pass and she hugs me back. After a while, we break the hug and she invites me in. She closes the door and fixes her gaze on me.

"How did you come here? Where have you been all this time?" She asks with her hands folded on her chest, in that bossy tone that she always used back at the CBI. It's obvious that she tries to look composed and cool.

"Your brother, Stan, gave me your address. I paid CBI a visit but you weren't there… so I came here." My tone grows more serious. "What's wrong, Lisbon? Why are you here? And why do you live in this place?"

"Wait a minute," she starts with a nervous chuckle and her tone rises a bit. "You left and disappeared from the face of the earth for six months, and now you come here and demand for an answer? Not before you answer me first. Where have you been in all those months? And why haven't you contacted me once?"

I understand her determination and I decide to tell her the story. I tell her about my fake breakdown, about Vegas and about Lorelei. I didn't get into all the details of the story, I mostly told her about the important parts. She stayed calm and listened carefully.

"So, let me get this clear. After you left, you spent your days pretending to be a psychic again? And one day, a friend of Red John appears out of nowhere and asks you to follow her. And he wants to befriend you? That's ridiculous. What did you say?"

"I agreed. Then, the story gets juicy."

"How?"

"He wants me to give him something to prove that I have really changed. He asked me to kill you, Lisbon."

"What?" She says in a shocked and high tone.

"Listen… I had the perfect plan. I was planning to make him think that you are dead, to fake your murder, but when I went to the CBI, you weren't there. Of course, now I have to make a different plan. Don't worry about it." He smiles. "Now… your turn."

Lisbon takes a deep breath and tells me her story. About detective Matthew, her mother's death, Montgomery, about her life in the last two months. I listen to her with attention and I find it hard to maintain my coolness.

"I am sorry, Lisbon. It must have been hard for you, to find out about this after all these years. I should have been here."

"It's okay," she responded softly.

"Did you find anything against him? Do you have a plan? I can help you. You know it, right?"

"I think I have one, yes. Anyway, it's late. Let's talk about it tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Hmm… no. I went straight to your brother and then I came here. I didn't get the chance to visit a hotel."

"You can sleep on the couch if you want. It's really comfortable."

"Thanks… that works," I say with a wide smile.

* * *

After a while, we get comfortable in our sleeping spots, me on the couch and Lisbon in the sleeping bag. Everything is dark and quiet. I stay awake for a while and listen to her soft breathing as it softly fills the room. I smile as I look at the ceiling and close my eyes. For the first time in months, I sleep feeling peaceful and safe.


	4. Plans

**Here's the next one! Thank you guys for your support, we hope you like it :D my friend was pretty inspired on this one and I personally love how the story turns out. Let us know what you think!**

* * *

Jane's POV

A sound wakes me up. At first I have a hard time to focus, coming back from the deep slumber I was in, then I slowly open my eyes and realize something is wrong. My attention is eventually caught by another noise, coming from Lisbon. I slowly get up and approach her, then I lower myself next to her and observe her. I can see she is sweaty. She flinches and twists in her sleep, slightly sighing now and then. She must be having a nightmare.

At some point, she murmurs in her sleep. "No… no, mom, no! Mom, wake up, no, no, no!" I am not quite sure of how to react. I don't want to scare her but I have never seen her in such distress before. I hold her and shake her gently, but fiercely enough to cause her to wake up. When she doesn't respond right away, I speak her name and shake her more. I tell her that everything is going to be okay and I caress her hair.

Suddenly, she wakes up and fiercely grabs my neck with her hands. Her eyes are dark and her face is as pale as ever. I hold her wrists and move her hands away while looking deep in her eyes and, once again, telling her that everything is going to be okay, in a calm and soft tone. She relaxes for a second, and before I have the chance to respond, she crashes her lips on my own.

Her kiss is wild, intense, wet. Her tongue requests entrance in my mouth. At first I am shocked and I freeze, as my mind isn't focused enough to process what was actually happening. Then, I melt into it. I kiss her back and lose myself in the alluring sensation of the moment. I let go of her wrists and tangle my hands in her hair, making the kiss even more passionate, releasing a sigh. I know this is probably a bad idea, but I can't hold myself.

For the first time since Angela, I feel something in me without any hints of regret. Erica and Lorelei were just about physical attraction, and something that had to be done. But this is something different. I feel shivers running down my spine, as my whole body feels alive again. It awakens, it burns, it demands.

We break the kiss as soon as we feel the urge to breathe again. I look her in the eyes and, in all of a sudden, she collapses on me. I lay her on the sleeping bag and gently tuck her in. Then, I try to understand what has happened. Maybe her adrenaline levels got high cause of the distress, and after the kiss, she relaxed in an instant and just fainted. Something tells me she won't remember a thing of all this tomorrow.

I am hurt to see her like this. I remain sitting next to her for a while, watching her as she sleeps and caressing her hair. She seems so much calmer now. When I see her lips slightly curling into a smile, I understand she dreams of something joyous now. I feel relieved. I carefully get up and go back to the couch. I think of the kiss for quite some time before drifting into a dreamful sleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later. I turn my gaze to Lisbon and find she is still sleeping peacefully. I get up quietly and head to the kitchen, then I search the cup board and the fridge. I gladly find there is green tea available in here. I also find enough ingredients to make breakfast, mainly consisted of eggs. I start preparing the tea, warming the water casually in the microwave, as using the boiler would wake her up, then I head back to the board.

Now that I know why she is here, the work displayed on the board makes sense. Yesterday she told me she's working on a plan and is going to inform me about it later in the day. I take a deep breath and think of a plan of my own, in order to help her – I owe to her, after everything she has done for me in all these years – but also in order to help myself and not lose the chance I finally have, to catch Red John.

After a while, I hear Lisbon waking up. She gets up reluctantly. Her hair is messy and her cheeks are kind of pinky. She looks so adorable in the morning. She looks at me shortly, giving me a slight smile, and as soon as I smile back, she heads to the bathroom.

I walk to the kitchen and prepare her coffee and my tea. I collect the eggs from the fridge and I start cooking. As soon as the eggs are ready, Lisbon gets out of the bathroom, dressed in casual clothing. She comes towards me with a smile on her face, greeting me in a slightly husky voice.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you. I prepared some eggs and coffee. I hope you are hungry," I say, and then I take a sit at the table.

"More like _starving_. Thanks," she says and sits across me. She blows some steam away from the coffee and takes a generous sip. After relishing the warm sensation, she speaks again.

"How did you sleep? I hope the couch wasn't too uncomfortable for you…?"

"Not at all, it's cozy in there. Though, there _was_ something that woke me up during the night…"

"What woke you up?" She asked curiously.

"Well… you had a nightmare. You were talking to yourself… I tried to wake you up. Do you remember any of that?" I say, as I carefully examine her face.

"Nope," she said in a simple manner.

As I examine her, I understand she says the truth. As I expected, she doesn't remember a thing. Which is probably a good thing.

"What was I mumbling about? Did you get anything?" She asked.

"You were saying things about your mother. You were trying to wake her up but… I heard you saying 'no' more than a couple of times."

Her face turned pale and I could tell by her expression that a sensation of horror started rising in her. She quickly snapped out of it and tried to conceal her emotions with a fake smile.

"Teresa… you know you can tell me everything."

"Please, let's just drop it… I don't feel like talking about it," she said as composedly as she could and turned her gaze away from me. Shortly after, she spoke again, trying to change the subject.

"In a couple of hours, Nathan will be here. I'll tell you both about my plan. I think it's more practical that way… and I would also like you to meet him. I think you're going to like him."

"_Hard thing to do, after that kiss he gave you last night,"_ I thought at that instant, but I didn't say anything. I chose to be polite instead.

"It will be my pleasure. Before he gets here, though, I'd like to ask about him. What's his story?"

"His… story?" She asked.

"Yes. I feel there is something personal to him too, about all this. On the board, I saw a picture of a young woman with the same last name. I don't think it's a coincidence."

Her body posture reveals awkwardness. She turns and looks at the picture, then at me. She slightly bites her lip and speaks.

"It's no coincidence. She is his sister. Ten years ago, she disappeared and there is no clue of her to this day. She was involved with drugs, specifically in Montgomery's neighborhood. Nathan believes that man is the one who took her, in order to use her. Montgomery isn't just a drug dealer, he owns several night clubs, where he employs women ready to respond to his every intention. He uses the drug business in order to attract young, beautiful women, and once they get carried away, he makes them work in his clubs."

"If that's the case, why did Nathan not trace him?"

"Sometimes the girls die, due to excessively high dose or sickness. Other times, they are sold to several clients of Montgomery. Nathan's sister was never found working in any of these places. Nathan believes she is possibly dead.

Montgomery knows about Nathan's investigation. Nathan tried to make a deal with him, he even suggested that if he got his sister back, he would drop the investigation. Montgomery laughed at him and mocked him. That was the time all of this started."

"I understand how he feels. Not knowing what has happened. It is terrible," I said with my eyes fixed on the table.

"Yes… anyway. Please, don't mention any of this in his presence. It feels awkward and he is pretty stressed by the situation."

"Of course, don't worry," I say with a smile. A few moments pass and I speak again. "Does he know anything about me?"

"I mentioned some things about you. He did a little research about the rest… like, what happened to your family, about Red John…." She said, avoiding my gaze at the last words.

* * *

About one and a half hour later, detective Matthew arrives. His attitude towards Lisbon indicates hints of awkwardness and intense emotions. He tries to look friendly to me. He greets me and we shake each other's hands, as our gazes lock together. If he thinks he's going to get Lisbon, he's deeply delusional.

I and _Nathan_ sit on the couch and wait for Lisbon, in order to listen to her plan. She comes shortly and sits across us, on a chair. She takes a deep breath and speaks.

"This morning, Chicago PD took Peggy Prodz in, right on the moment she was closing a deal with a dealer from Texas. They are both arrested and held under custody."

"Wait a minute," Nathan snaps. "Why am I not aware of that? How do you know?"

"The operation took place at dawn. I learned about it by chance. Yesterday afternoon, I met Kate Jackson, who was undercover in Prodz's business. Anyway, I told her that whenever they arrest her, they should keep a low profile and be very secretive about it."

"Why?" Asked Nathan impatiently.

"Because I will take her place in the deal. Since today, I am Peggy Prodz."

I and Nathan both got speechless for a moment.

"Lisbon, what you say is edgy to say the least! You can't go just like that in such a dangerous mission, exposed like this," I say as I cannot keep my composure anymore, out of anger and panic as well.

"It is too risky," says Nathan in the same tone. "They may recognize you."

"It is a possibility, yes," said Lisbon in a cool and calm voice. "But I am sick and tired of hiding, of not being able to deal with this. Should he recognize me, nothing is going to change. He would just confirm that you are not alone in this," she says with her gaze on Nathan. "Else, I will be able to infiltrate his business and gather information so that we can finally arrest him," she explains, as tension starts rising in her voice.

"And you couldn't tell me about this? Behind my back, you just talked to Kate and the chief, and I am the last one to know about this? I thought we were together in this," says Nathan, anger clearly showing in his voice.

"I didn't tell you because I knew how you would react! This is _my_ life and _I_ am the one to decide what I'm going to do," Lisbon practically yells at him.

At that point, I interrupt the argument and turn to Lisbon.

"I understand why you want to do this, but it is risky. You didn't think this through. I am sure there is another way we can make it work," I say calmly. She stares at me and produces a silent, ironic chuckle.

"You're kidding me, right? _You_ are the one to say that? Just how many times did you make plans that would end up in tragedy if I didn't interfere, during the last years? Not to mention the past 6 months," she yells, enraged. "When _you_ do something crazy, it's right, but when _I_ decide to go undercover in an operation, I lose my mind, right?"

"It's not the same," I yell at her.

"Why, Patrick? Why is it not the same? Am I not as smart as you are? Am I not so good at acting? Or do I suck at my job?" She shouts even louder, and we practically yell at each other's face.

"I just don't want you to be in danger, goddamn it! We can hire someone else in your place!"

"There is no other! And hear me, you two, when I say I will do this _with_ or _without_ your help. Make up your mind and tell me," she says while hurryingly grabbing her phone and jacket, then storms out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

I am left alone with Matthew, and the awkwardness between us is obvious. After a few moments of silence, he takes a deep breath and speaks.

"Do you think there is any way we can change her mind?" He asks politely.

"No, she is stubborn. Once she has made her mind, she never changes back," I respond in a low tone. "All we can do now is helping her."

"I expected that," he says with a sigh.

* * *

Shortly after, he leaves. Once I make sure it is safe, I take out my phone and call Lorelei. I need to gain some time for that one. Familiar bitter feelings rise to the surface the moment I listen to her voice.

"Hello, lover. Everything okay?"

"No, Lorelei. I need time to do this," I reply sharply and coldly.

"That's disappointing, Patrick. Red John won't be pleased," she says in a soft tone and I can understand she is smiling.

"She is never alone. I came to Chicago in order to find her, and she is with a cop the whole time. She works on a case. It needs to be closed first, _then_ I will have a chance."

"Okay, lover. You have 10 days. After that, the deal is off," she says softly and hangs up right after that.

I let out a breath of relief for the time I have managed to gain. I get up shortly after and leave, in order to find Lisbon. I need to get done with all of this in 10 days.


	5. Old chocolate factory

**Here's the latest chapter. Many credits to my friend, who worked hard on this. It's not easy to update early but we do hope you like it. Exams are closing in soon and we are thoughtful about the story. Please, if you read this, let us know of what you think in the reviews. They mean much to us and it's the only thing that keeps us going. Thank you again!**

* * *

Jane's POV

I didn't manage to find Lisbon. I am back in the warehouse again, waiting for some time. I tried to call her again but it went to voicemail. She must be still angry with me about my reaction earlier. I hope she eventually lets me help her.

I take a deep breath and walk to the board. I examine her findings for a while. Her plan is not bad at all but I really don't want her to be in danger. Montgomery is a very dangerous and cold-blooded man and he would not hesitate to harm her, even kill her, if he knew what was going on.

To my disappointment, there is nothing on the board about Peggy Prodz and I can't create an image of her in my mind. I really want to help Lisbon in this, to make her look like Prodz, for her own safety.  
Everything changed so fast. I find myself thinking about that kiss between Lisbon and me, and I smile. It is probably a good thing that she doesn't remember any of this. Things would be even more complicated between us.

* * *

_10 hours later_

I try to call Lisbon again. So far, I've been trying to call her every hour and it always goes to voicemail. I am beginning to worry about her. To my surprise, this time the phone rings. I take a deep breath to calm myself and clear my voice. Shortly after, I hear her voice on the other end of the line.

"I hope you didn't call just to bring out fresh arguments about my decision," she said in a dead serious and slightly sarcastic tone.

"Hello to you as well, Ms. Grumpy. In fact, I called because I was slightly growing worried about you, but mainly, because I want to help you. I still do not agree to that idea but if this is the way you want to do things, then I am going to respect that."

Her voice seems to relax a bit, but still in a composed tone.

"Oh… I see. Well, good. I'm glad to hear that. I'll text you the address and you can come and find me."

Shortly after, we hang up the phone and her text flashed in my phone's screen. I read the address and I hurryingly walk out of the warehouse, grabbing my jacket on the way.

* * *

I arrive at the location. As I get out of the car, I see a big, luxurious house of expensive structure. There is a wide fence of wall around it. I approach the gate and I see a guard heading in my way. I identify myself and he lets me in. As I walk towards the building, I examine the place. There is a beautiful garden and a luxurious pool. It seems there are two floors in the building, and big windows.

I knock on the front door. A young redheaded woman opens and greets me with a smile. She invites me in with a nod and closes the door behind me. I walk towards the center of the living room and see detective Matthew talking to a man. There are also two other people in the room, working on their desks, in front of their computers.

"Nice to have you with us, Mr. Jane," I heard the redheaded woman say behind me. I turn around to face her and I greet her too.

"Please… it's my pleasure to be a part of this."

"Good to know." She holds out her hand. "I'm Kate Jackson. Detective at Chicago PD. We're sorry about the mess. We are still trying to gain full access in the data and take all the necessary security measures about Ms. Lisbon," she said softly.

"I see. So, where is Lisbon?" I ask plainly with hints of determination.

"She is upstairs changing. You may see her if you'd like," she said. I nod at her and make my way upstairs.

I reach the second floor and I see a long hall, which leads to the master bedroom. As I head there, I also notice two guestrooms, a small bathroom and an office.  
Once I reach the door at the end of the hall, I knock on it. Shortly after, I hear Lisbon's voice from inside granting me permission to enter. I slowly open the door and see clothes everywhere, on the floor, hung on furniture etc.

I see three women in front of me. Two of them are facing me and the third one has her back turned on me. The two women are young with brown hair and the other one has a more mature style, and blonde hair.

"Pardon me, ladies… I am looking for Lisbon," I say as I look around and examine the room.

Suddenly I hear Lisbon's laughter and she turns around to look at me, in that blonde hair. I pause and remain frozen for a few seconds, looking at her and examining her new appearance. She is truly unrecognizable. I can tell that's not a wig, she actually had her hair dyed. She wears a grey dress that fits perfectly her body shape and makes her look more feminine than ever.

"So, how do I look?" She asked between chuckles. That was the time I realized my jaw was literally hanging open at her sight. I cleared my throat and composed myself.

"The change is truly amazing," I said, eyeing her up and down in admiration.

"Do I pass as Peggy Prodz?" She asked.

"As far as I can tell, absolutely. I believe no one will know the difference," I say and I smile at her. "So, what's the plan from now on?"

"We check her last emails and pick up from where she left. We will use her help, of course. We arranged a meeting for tomorrow evening, at an old chocolate factory. I hope I'll be ready until tomorrow," she said in her always cool tone.

"I can help you. I can 'read' her and use the information to guide you to be more like her," I said. Lisbon folded her arms and pondered as she talked.

"I thought about it too but Chicago PD keeps her in a safe place at Texas, in order to protect her and the operation. However, I need you to help me 'read' Montgomery."

"Hm… do you want me with you at the meeting? That should be easy enough for me."

"That's not going to work." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Jane, but someone might recognize you. Your story with Red John is widely known and people have seen you in television before. It's too risky. Tell you what, I'm going to be wired, that way you'll be able to watch and hear everything from here. I will try to extract some information that way."

"Of course, Lisbon. Anything you need," I said with a smile. She smiled back.

"Now that that's settled… I'm going to stay here with Kate. You and Matthew may use the guestrooms. It's only going to be the four of us in the house."

* * *

_Later that night_

Lisbon's POV

Time passes by so slowly. I struggle to drift into slumber but my mind won't let me do so, and the tension in me is growing steady. I examine the room with my gaze and everything is dark and quiet. It's so strange. Only yesterday I was sleeping in an old warehouse and now I find myself in this mansion. I turn over to take a glimpse of Kate at the other bed. She sleeps deeply.

I slowly slide the sheets to the side and sit up. I get up and try to silently make my way to the kitchen. I warm up some water and prepare a chamomile in order to relax. When the chamomile is ready, I take the cup in my hands and blow away some steam. I take a sip and then head outside, towards the pool. The night is warm and peaceful.

I sit down on the grass and gaze at the sky. I was never really fond of stargazing but this time, it feels so soothing and the tension does not bother my mind anymore. Some time passes and I drink from the cup in peace, then take a few deep breaths. I haven't felt so relaxed in a long time.

"May I sit with you or you'd rather be here by yourself?" I hear Matthew's voice coming from behind. I am so relaxed I didn't even get surprised by that sudden breaking of silence. I smile at him and indicate he can sit with me, with a nod of my head.

"Can't sleep?" He asked after a while.

"Not really. I keep thinking about tomorrow. I am so nervous… I mean, I will finally get to meet _him_. Face to face." I take a sip after that.

"I understand. It's not easy for you. Everything has come upside down in your life during the past few months. You had to lie to your brothers and your team," he said, looking me deeply in the eyes.

I smiled and nodded. A few moments of silence passed and I decided I needed to speak of what's in my mind for some time now.

"Can I ask you something?" I say as the tension was slightly sensible.

"Sure. Ask away."

"Why did you kiss me last night?" I ask as I feel the tension rise again, but I look at him, straight in the eye. He paused for a second, then lowered his gaze on his hands and spoke.

"I feel that during the last weeks, we came closer and started to bond with each other. I started… feeling things for you. Beyond partnership and friendship, I mean."

He looks at me again for reassurance. I nod at him and he continues.

"You are a strong and sincere person… and a beautiful and polite woman as well, and I couldn't help that. I know it's strange and complicated with all this, I know it's not the right time to pursue something like that. I just want you to know the truth. I'll always be at your side and help you, even if you never feel the same way for me."

His tension is obvious and I can tell it must have been hard for him to say all that in a time like this. I turn my gaze at my cup and bring it to my lips as I respond.

"Truth is, I don't know how I feel anymore." I look at him again and try to sound warm and understanding. "But you are someone I can trust and that's not something to take lightly. I want you in my life, though I don't feel like having a romantic relationship right now. Not now."

"Please, you don't need to say anything else. I understand. You have all the time you need, if it comes to that. I'll be here for you. I meant what I said," he says with a warm smile on his face, as his hand caresses me on the shoulder. I smile at him too.

"Anyway," he says, "there's a long day ahead of us. We should both get some rest. Goodnight, Teresa. Rest well," he says while he stands up.

"Goodnight, Nathan," I say with a smile, then watch him head towards the house.

* * *

Jane's POV

One more sleepless night. My insomnia seems to get worse after my departure from CBI. I miss my couch and Lisbon's office. A few of my favourite things back then. I used to watch her file some paperwork while lying on that white couch. I do miss those days.

I get up from the bed and head to the kitchen, to prepare something to help me sleep, probably some tea. On the way, I take a glimpse of Lisbon's room. Everything is so calm and quiet. She must be asleep.

I reach the kitchen and start preparing the tea. I look out the window and notice Lisbon lying down at the garden, next to the pool. She must have trouble sleeping too. I smile and leave the kitchen, heading outside too. When I reach her, I realize she is sleeping. With slow moves, I lower myself next to her and lie too. For a few minutes I watch her sleep. After a while, I gently nudge her shoulders with my hand, to wake her up. She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes and looks at me. Her lips gradually form a smile.

"You do know you have a nice and comfortable bed upstairs, right?" I say with a grin and hints of sarcasm in a low tone.

"I couldn't sleep. I came here to relax for a while but I must've fallen asleep," she says in a calm voice and stretches up. "Why are _you_ awake?"

"You know me, Lisbon, I can't sleep. I think too much."

She chuckles a bit before speaking.

"Yeah, right. I have seen you sleep in your couch for hours back at CBI, on a daily basis. You sleeping beauty." She laughs.

"I don't sleep," I say in a fake offended voice, "I just analyze the cases… and get _really_ focused on that."

"Hmm," she responds in a teasing manner, "sometimes I heard a snore."  
I chuckle.

"First, I don't snore and secondly, I _let_ you think I was asleep because I wanted some privacy," I say in a humorous tone and she nodded mockingly, following that teasing manner. Shortly, the chuckles die out and I ask her in a calm tone.

"Why can't you sleep?"

"I keep thinking about tomorrow. I'm a little nervous," she says with her gaze fixed on the sky.

"Everything is going to be fine. You know that, right?" I say in a serious and reassuring tone.

"Yeah, I guess… it's just weird. This man destroyed my family and I'll meet him personally tomorrow."

"Lisbon, look at me," I say and she turns her gaze. "You are one of the best agents I know and one of the most courageous ones too. There is no doubt about that and don't you ever think otherwise," I say, my tone growing more intense in the last few words. She smiles.

"Thank you. Not just for what you said but for being here too," she responds in a low voice.

"Always, Lisbon," I say with a warm smile and hug her.

* * *

_Next day. Time of the operation._

Sometime early in the day. It's sunny and warm. A black SUV approaches an old chocolate factory. The driver's door opens and a bulky man comes out and closes it fiercely. He heads to the back of the car and opens the trunk and takes out two folded chairs and a table. He places them in the center of the factory's interior. Then, he opens the back door and an old man in an expensive suit comes out. He uses a stick to walk. He fixes his clothes a bit and takes a sit at the table.

Shortly after, another car approaches and a young redheaded woman heads to the back door and opens it. Lisbon, dressed in her disguise, carefully steps out of the car and examines the place with her gaze. The moment she lays her eyes on the man, she realizes who he is. She clears her throat and heads towards him.

The more she approaches the table, the more intense are the shivers that wash down her spine. This is it. This is the moment she was waiting for. It all starts now. She hopes her sunglasses add to the poker face she is trying to keep. She notices the man's lips curve into a smile as he eyes her up and down, and she can't help but feel disgust for that person.

"We finally meet. People were right after all. You are a real beauty," said Montgomery as he hungrily eyed her up and down, giving her his most charming smile.

"Keep your hands and your dirty thoughts to yourself, or for that matter, to the girls who work for you. I'm only here for business," she answered sharply. He chuckled.

"Kitty has claws." He indicated the chair across the table and she sat down with composed moves. A moment later, she spoke.

"You have a good taste at your men," she said and smiled seductively at his bodyguard. "Where is your partner?"

"He had some trouble getting here. Never mind about him, he is not important. I want to invest to something more reliable. Like, you." His expression turned into a devilish smile, as he lowered his sunglasses to take a better glimpse of her.

"Flattery won't help you, Mr. Montgomery. If you want me, you know what I want to see."

He nodded to one of his men and they brought him a box. He took it and threw it on the table. It was a blue box with a lion design on it. Lisbon chuckled and took it in her hands. She opened it and realized there were pills inside.

"Why do you use these symbols and the coded messages?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Every product needs the right marketing. I made my product known like this and I sell a lot of it now."

Lisbon took one of the pills and held it in her hand. She examined it for a while. For a moment, she tasted it.

"This is handmade. And it's flavor is interesting." She immediately spit it out, trying not to look unfamiliar with the whole thing. She spoke again in a sharp tone.

"Thin dose, bad aftertaste. I'm not selling this," said Lisbon and rose from the chair. He cut her off.

"These are only a test. I wanted to test you, to see who I am going to work with. I have a large quantity waiting for you every month."

"I want to meet the one who makes it before we continue."

"You came here to buy and I came here to sell. What more do you need?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. Lisbon takes a deep breath.

"How many pills do you have here, right now?"

"About 3000 of those, my dear," he says with a smirk on his face, placing his elbows on the table and locking his fingers together.

"Are you kidding me?" Lisbon laughed. "I sell that amount every day."

"That's why I need you as a partner, and not only as a client. Think about it. With me as a supplier, and with your dealers, we'll make a gold business. These pills sell good. I want your people to deliver them for me. Think about it and tell me," he says and winks at me as he stands up. "You know where to find me," he finishes and heads back to his car.

Montgomery and his men left the factory and Lisbon took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she went through this successfully.

"That was very well done," said Kate with a smile on her face.

"Let's go. I want to have a long bath," said Lisbon coldly and got in the car.


	6. The angel of death

**Hello everyone. I wish to officially announce that our story will be rated M from now on, as the the story will vary from time to time to darker chapters, such as this one. This is a really smutty one, and I would plead those who do not like rough sex and hints of domination in mature scenes, to avoid leaving offensive reviews. Of course, constructive critisism is always welcome, and you have to remember this is sex between a serial killer and a... not so emotional woman. If you still wish to read the story but are not interested in reading a smutty chapter, you may as well pass. The details in here are not essential to the flow of the story but my friend felt it was necessary to point out the nature of Lorelei and Red John's relationship. Let me make clear that, in our story, Red John is _not_ McAllister. Enjoy :)**

* * *

It is late at night. Events take place in a small, dark house. Lorelei was silently standing in front of a man, who was sitting on a lounge chair. His face was hidden in the dark and Lorelei felt a shiver running down her spine and spreading in her whole body. That man was everything to her. Her protector, her friend, her lover, her master. The one and only Red John.

"You're late. I was waiting for you during the last two hours," he said in a low and cold tone while staring at her. Lorelei cleared her throat nervously and replied as composedly as she could.

"I'm sorry master. I came as fast as I could," she apologized.

"I'm disappointed, Lorelei. I thought I could trust you. I gave you everything you wanted and how do you pay me back? You don't listen to me and you disobey my orders," he stated in a more fierce and loud tone. Lorelei paused for a second and dropped her gaze on the floor while responding.

"No master. I only live to serve you," she said, and took some steps closer to him. "I only did what I thought would please you."

"Then, what's all this with Patrick Jane? When did I tell you to give him 10 more days? OR kill Teresa Lisbon, hmm?" He asked sternly, causing another wave of shivers to the woman in front of him.

"You told me that you wanted him to kill someone, to prove himself to you. I though Lisbon was the best choice," she tried to sound convincing, completely and utterly failing.

"You know very well which my plans are for her. It's not her time yet."

Lorelei stayed silent and bent her head. There is no point in trying to push this further anymore. A few moments later, his voice stole her attention.

"Lorelei, you don't have to be jealous of her. You are my only woman. My issues with Teresa are… of a different nature," he said in a calmer tone than before. Lorelei raised her gaze with hints of sentiment in her eyes, her face now betraying her thoughts before she even speaks them.

"I am sorry… but sometimes, the way you talk about her makes me feel mad and insecure. You seem to have some sort of admiration towards her and I can't help feeling jealous," she said as calmly as she could.

"Sweetie," he started with a sigh, "she is the only one who survived. I admire her for that. Also, she is a very important person in Patrick's life. He thinks he is so smart that I don't know he is in love with her. That just makes the game even more exciting," he said as his lips formed a smirk in the last words.

"I see. I am sorry, master… I won't act so recklessly from now on. Please forgive me."

The grin in his face turned even wider.

"I'm very mad at you, sweetie. You disappointed me and I just can't let you get away with it, you understand. You must learn your lesson, and then I might forgive you." He leaned frontwards on his chair and pierced her with his eyes. "Will you make me feel better? Will you take my anger away?" He said, his tone growing more seductive.

"Of course, master," she said with a forming smile and walked to him.

Lorelei sat on his lap. She kissed him fiercely and passionately. A few lustful moments later, they broke the kiss to breath. She looked him in his eyes and spoke in a deep, passionate voice. "I want this night to be like no other night we ever had. I want you to fuck me like there's no tomorrow, over and over again."

She stood up and started taking her clothes off with confidence and a sexy smile on her lips. Once she removed every piece of clothing from her body, she sat on him again, and he drank in her sight with a satisfied smirk.

Lorelei slipped her hands under the black fabric of his T-shirt, finally making contact with his skin. She impatiently pulled it over his head and threw it behind her. She ran her hands in his chest with an amazed and lustful expression on her face, as he shivered under her touch.

She lowered her mouth on his neck, and the moment her lips reached him, a moan escaped from both of them. She placed wet, hot kisses in his flaming skin. She felt his approval in his trousers. He groaned when her tongue found his nipple. She grinned against him and moved to the other one. Her hand found the zipper of his trousers and slowly unzipped it. She licked her lips seductively and caressed him with her hand, and then she kissed him one more time. His hands wandered to her breasts, pressing and massaging them hard. She broke the kiss with a loud moan and threw her head back. He took her breast in his mouth and she groaned. Her breath was loud in his ears and at some point, she screamed "oh master."

He released her breast, and Lorelei stood up only to kneel in front of him. With fierce and quick moves, she took off the rest of his clothes impatiently and then she teased him for a few seconds around his sex. Soon, he urged her to keep going and, with a grinning expression on her face, piercing him with her eyes, she finally took him in her mouth. She moaned against him and he tangled his hands in her hair to hold her there. She took him deeply and thoroughly. Her hands on him made him moan at the sensation.

"Harder, sweetie… Take me harder," he yelled with a deep, passionate and hoarse voice, and then he grinded in a quicker pace.

She obeyed and, after a few thrusts, he came fiercely with a groan, with his member sealed between her lips. She eagerly took in every drop of his juice and, shortly after, she released him. A few minutes passed as he was panting to find his stamina again. Shortly after, he spoke with a steady breathing pace.

"Stand up."

She stood up and he immediately grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, with her body facing it. Without any warming up, he entered her in a strong thrust. She yelled as she felt the pressure.

"Hurt me. Go deeper, please!" She exclaimed, drunk with passion and lust.

He thrust deep and she cried out when his hips slammed against her buttons. Red John pounded into her, he pumped in and out in a fierce and steady pace. He leaned forward and growled in her ear with a deep and groaning voice.

"Bet nobody else has fucked you like this."

He grabbed her hair in his grip, and with the other hand he slapped her core. All Lorelei could do was moaning. On the top of it, he pushed 3 fingers in her core and she came in ecstasy.

"You were a bad girl, disobeying me like this. This is not over," he whispered in her ear and continued to thrust in.

He began nipping her neck and pounding in her faster and faster. Lorelei came again against her angel of death, with no regret for anything as her mind drifted in her lustful daze. She began screaming intensely, as her voice was growing hoarse from her song of passion. "Oh god, yes! Fuck me, harder!" She grinded fiercely against him.

Red John smirked and took her in his arms. He threw her on the bed and lowered himself above her. She squirmed with desire for him. He gave her a harsh, sucking kiss, and then landed his lips on the rest of her body too. He placed his fingers between her legs and she spread them for him. His tongue teased her sex and she moaned. Her breath came out in short, shuddering gasps. He tasted her, pleased her, and played with her until she thought she would explode with aching need.

She came again hard, and he removed his mouth only to replace it with his hardened member. His hands moved to her neck and kept her in place.

"God, master, the things you do to me," she whispered with shuddering breaths.

Red John didn't start thrusting yet. He looked at her and spoke with a smirk.

"Do you want more? Beg for it!"

"Fuck me. Fuck me hard. Please… Gosh, please!"

He grinned and started thrusting fast and deep. The bed was crackling under them, hitting the wall with every thrust. Feeling her walls tightened around him, he gave one last deep thrust and exploded with lust in her. Lorelei's vision grew blurry and another orgasm hit her hard.

"Thank you master," she said shortly after, panting hard for breath.

He collapsed next to her and spoke in his imposing tone.

"Don't you ever take action behind my back again. Next time, there will be no forgiveness."

She nodded and leaned on lim. She raised her body upon him and started caressing him and kissing him.

A few minute later, he grabbed her and laid her on her stomach. He rose from the bed and returned with a knife on his hand.

Lorelei looked at him with a frightened expression but stayed in her place. Red John raised her head and put the knife in her neck.

"I don't like good girls. I prefer dirty whores, like you. Disobey me again and I _will_ use this knife."

Then, holding the knife in her neck, he slapped her ass a few times, leaving marks with his hand. Lorelei clenched her hands in the sheets, shivering intensely, and a wave of lust washed through her again.

When her entire ass was flushed, he sat up and entered her again. Several thrusts later, Lorelei came hard around him, screaming his name with tears in her eyes. After a while, he emptied himself with a loud, groaning "oh, fuck" in her. When he finished and drew a few long breaths, he stood up and got off the bed. He dressed up and left without speaking a word, leaving her in the darkness. Lorelei wrapped herself protectively with the blanket, then shortly drifted into sleep, exhausted and weak.


	7. Strawberry and trust

**New chapter is here! I and my friend would like to apologize for making you guys wait for so long. It has been a very stressful exam period for the both of us and we needed some time to get it together. The next chapter is already in progress. We hope you like this one! Thank you all for your warm support! Enjoy :)**

* * *

Three days later:

It was late at night, the night of the mission. The team was all prepared and driving to Montgomery's night club. Apart from the engine's sound, there was an overall quietness in the car and Lisbon was running the details of the plan for one more time in her mind, making sure everything was set as it should be. At some point, she was examining her fellow agent's reactions.

Kate was making sure her gun was ready for the operation. There was another agent with them, called Marcus Pike. He seemed a bit more nervous, fixing his suit as best as he could.

The car finally pulled outside the club. As they prepared to get out, Lisbon spoke in a low tone.

"Remember, we have to make this work. Just be calm, stick to your roles and everything is going to work out well," she said, then took a glimpse of Pike, who was gradually calming himself.

"Let's do this," said Kate, as she hid her gun beneath her skirt.

They got out of the car and walked in a fast pace to the door. There was a small crowd around the place, but everybody seemed to keep their distance from that huge, bulky, tattoo-faced doorman. Lisbon nodded to the team and they headed there with confidence.  
The doorman raised his arm and indicated they couldn't get in.

"Sorry, doll, but the bar is only for men. Your friend," he indicates Pike with a nod, "can pass. You? I don't think so."

"Hm. Are you new here?" Asked Lisbon with a smirk, eyeing the man up and down.

"Yeah, why?" He said as he folded his arms.

"I thought so. I'm Peggy Prodz. And rules do not apply to me, 'hun,'" she said with confidence and hints of sarcasm in her tone, and then she passed by him and the team made their way inside.

The team was surrounded by an almost sickening mixture for the senses. The music was too loud to speak, the smoke was too thick to properly see or breathe. There were men everywhere, having a good time with a drink in their hand and a pretty girl on their lap. Lisbon felt sick to the core by that sight but concealed her emotions, wearing that poker-face successfully. She and the others made their way to the bar and ordered some drinks.

A few minutes later, a tall man in a suit approached them and Kate indicated he's obviously one of Montgomery's men. Once he reached them, he talked to Lisbon.

"Drinks are on the house," he said and eyed Lisbon up and down. Lisbon smirked at him and talked in a casual and confident tone.

"I want to speak to your boss."

"My boss is in a meeting right now. Perhaps… you could enjoy yourself until then," he said and winked at her, pointing towards some of the club's girls.

Peggy Prodz was known to have both male and female lovers from time to time. Lisbon looked at Kate with a questioning look. The latter nodded at her and she accepted the offer. She asked for a young blonde girl, whom she spotted at table four. The girl was sitting on the lap of an old man, appearing to be rather disgusted by his companionship. She seemed to be new to all that and she certainly didn't seem like having a good time.

The man asked her to follow him. Lisbon did so, as Kate came too, and the man led them to a private room. Pike stayed behind at the bar. The man frowned at Kate when she stood by the door of that room, and Lisbon said she never went anywhere without her bodyguard. The man nodded and left in order to bring the girl.

Lisbon was a little tense. She fixed her tight clothes and sat on the leather couch. She looked at Kate and smiled as the latter nodded to her. Everything went according to the plan.

Shortly, the man returned with the girl and left them alone, closing the door behind him. The girl appeared to be a little stressed and kept shifting her gaze between Lisbon and Kate.

"What's your name?" Asked Lisbon in a sweet and gentle tone.

"They call me Strawberry," responded the girl with a blush.

"Strawberry? How so?" Asked Lisbon, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I guess it's because of my body lotion… it smells like strawberries," the girl said, lowering her gaze.

Lisbon felt a wave of sadness rising in her as she examined the girl. They must have been treating her awfully. Under different circumstances, she would try to help her escape from this life, but now she had to make sure the mission would succeed.

Lisbon asked for a lap dance and Strawberry obeyed immediately. The blonde sat on her lap and started swaying sensually to the music. Lisbon tried to fight the urge to chase the girl away from her and remained frozen still in her place. After a while, she heard a forced cough and looked at Kate with the corner of her eyes. Kate indicated with her eyes that there was that camera on the ceiling and Lisbon should appear warmer to the girl.

Hesitating at first, Lisbon placed her hands on the girl's back and started caressing her softly up and down. The girl then began kissing her neck and working with the buttons of Lisbon's dress. Lisbon felt a chill at the sense. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on something else. She had never experimented with another woman and it was difficult for her under these circumstances.

Strawberry eventually moved from the neck to the lips, and started kissing her deeply, pushing her tongue inside without permission or signs of warning.  
Lisbon got lost in her thoughts, imagining Jane being in the place of that girl. At that feeling, she returned the kiss hungrily and passionately, slightly moaning. They broke the kiss when they needed air, and the blonde made her way to Lisbon's breasts, kissing and biting through the fabric. Lisbon pressed her closely and placed her hands on Strawberry's hair. She grabbed her, locking their lips together again, and slid her hand inside the girl's underwear, grabbing her ass.

After losing herself in these newfound vibrating sensations for quite some time, the music stopped and Lisbon's drifting mind returned to reality. Someone knocked on the door and Lisbon pushed the girl away and fixed her clothes, trying to compose herself. Kate nodded and opened the door. It was Montgomery's man.

"Boss is free to see you now. He's waiting for you in his office."

Lisbon nodded and got up. Leaving the room, she took a last glimpse of the introverted girl. Kate followed silently.  
The office was upstairs and Lisbon wore her "Peggy attitude" again, entering the office without even knocking on the door. Montgomery was sitting on his chair with a brown haired girl between his legs. Lisbon remained calm, standing by the door and spoke in an ironic tone.

"You spoiled my fun, bringing me here. I didn't come to watch your little show."

Montgomery nodded to the girl and she got up and left. He closed his trousers and composed himself. He pointed at the chair in front of the desk an Lisbon approached and sat down. She spoke first.

"So… I agree to work with you. I can push your product everywhere, from schools to wherever you say so."

"Good to know," he said with a smirk and took a sip of his wine.

"But first, I want you to tell me if you can make a large amount of pills as you said," she said and slightly leaned towards him.

"Why would I lie to you?" He asked.

"Where is your lab?" She asked sharply. He laughed and spoke.

"You don't trust me. Why should I trust you then?  
I saw you when you took my pills. I know you are addicted to them. I also know you want to get back on business and leave everything behind you. The money is good and the pleasure is even bigger. How can I trust you?"

Lisbon smiled and took her phone. She sent a text. Then, she looked at Montgomery and winked.

Pike was sitting at the bar when he received the message. He looked at his phone and took one last sip. He got up and made his way upstairs. Everything was quiet and dark. Suddenly, the lights were on and Montgomery laughed at him.

"Have you lost your way, boy?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"I-I was looking for the bathroom," Pike said and turned to leave but Montgomery's man stood in his way threateningly.

"Of course. I don't remember seeing you in my club before."

"I've been here many times before. Look, my friends are downstairs, they are probably waiting for me," said Pike in a nervous tone.

Montgomery ordered his man to search him. He found a wallet and gave it to his boss. Montgomery opened it and found Pike's business card. He smiled devilishly.

"I see you are an FBI agent. Interesting. Very interesting."

The door opened and Lisbon and Kate came inside. Pike looked at them with a puzzled expression.

"Marcus, after all this time you still haven't learned anything. Such a pity" said Lisbon with a sarcastic voice.

"Please, let's get it over with. I'm starting to get bored," said Montgomery.

"What's going on?" Pike asked Lisbon and Kate.

Kate immediately raised her gun and fired once. Pike lied down on his stomach, leaving out a loud cry. He lay still and blood spread around him. Montgomery's man went close leaned over him. He checked his pulse. When he didn't find any, he nodded to his boss.

A few seconds of silence passed and Lisbon broke the silence and asked composedly.

"Do you trust me now?"

Montgomery looked at her and simply pulled out his phone. He made a call and after a while, he spoke.

"Montgomery here. There is some garbage in my office. Come and take care of it," he said and hang up.

He asked Lisbon to follow him and left the office. Lisbon followed him with Kate by her side, as they exchanged looks with the corner of their eyes, and got out. They eventually entered his car.

"Where are we going?" Lisbon asked.

"To my lab, my dear. I want to show you my work. The stuff works all the time, and thanks to the internet, I have enough supplies for a year. So… did I earn your trust too?" He said, raising his eyebrow and forming a smirk.

Lisbon smiled and remained silent for the rest of the trip.

When they arrived, Lisbon quickly scanned the place. There was a deserted house. They went inside and she saw a large faculty with machinery and tables full of pills. There were three people who worked there, two men and one woman.

Montgomery showed them around the place and explained the procedure of his work. A while later, his phone rang and he excused himself in order to answer. He left with his man. Lisbon looked at hate and gave her a wide smile. Kate sent a message with her phone and nodded to Lisbon, telling her that everything is working fine.

After a while, Montgomery came inside, bearing an expression full of tension and hints of anger. He nodded to his employees and, suddenly, Lisbon and Kate were surrounded by them.

"I had a very interesting phone call. You see, one of my informers told me Peggy Prodz is in jail, and you took her place to frame me," the last words came out fiercely and loud. "But don't worry. You'll have all the time to tell me everything, dear," he said and gave a sign to the woman.

Before they got any chance to respond or to react, the woman closed in and placed a fabric on Lisbon's and Kate's noses. Then, everything became dark.


	8. Dancing with the Devil

**Here's the new chapter, guys. Sorry for not uploading sooner, I had been really sick during the past days but I feel much better now and I was able to finish my part. My friend is already working on the scenario on the next one. We hope you like it! Thanks for your support again!**

* * *

Two days earlier:

"Montgomery thinks he is cleverer than everyone. He is a sexist, self-centered man. He likes to provoke his enemy or partner and he is amused by that. He wants to have control on the situation and boss around, to be the person who takes the decisions and gives orders," Jane explains vividly while pacing in the room.

"Okay… how am I supposed to make him open up to me?" Lisbon asked while lightly tapping her chin.

"You must be the prey and he must be the hunter. You will have to look desperate, like your business depends on him. He will feel he has the upper hand. I have a plan… but I don't think you will exactly like it," he said with a grin.

"Have I ever liked them?" Lisbon answered with a sarcastic smile.

"Okay. Listen... You will head to his club and ask to see him. Of course he's not going to see you right away and you will have to show you're confident with that."

"So far so good. It's what happens next that scares me," Lisbon interrupted.

"Montgomery is going to test you. He knows one or two things about Peggy Prodz and you must stand up to these. Act exactly like her," Jane explained.

"I lost you there. What do you mean?" Lisbon asked with curiosity.

"I mean I read her profile and your behavior is not like hers at some basic points. You must be more feminine… more flirtatious," Jane said and smiled to her.

"More flirtatious? I was flirtatious in the previous meeting. With his bodyguard," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes but in his club you will not be able to do it again. Plus, Prodz fancies men and women alike..." Jane said and paused, examining her reactions.

"Please, don't tell me what I think you are saying..." Lisbon responded with hints of building distress in her.

"Yes, Lisbon, that is what I mean. You will have to be flirtatious with one of his girls. It's the only way to truly comprehend your role. To be her! That way, he will have no doubt about you for being Peggy Prodz," Jane explained.

"B-but I have never done this before…! Especially in a place like this! I'll be anxious and terrified too… I can't do it." Lisbon signed and covered her face with her hands.

Jane approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. With the other hand, he removed her hands from her face and guided her gaze on him.

"I know this isn't you. I know this is hard. But I trust you and I know you can do it. You have reached that far. Do you want to give up now? Do you really think I would do anything to put you in an embarrassing situation or a dangerous place? Don't you trust me?" Jane said, looking deep in her eyes and speaking in a comforting tone.

"You know I trust you. I must be crazy but I do," she said laughing and looking at him.

"Good. Please don't have any doubts for my plan. I wish I could be there with you but I can't. Now, about the rest of the plan..." Jane said with a warm smile.

"Wait... That was not all?" Lisbon interrupted with widened eyes.

"No, that was the first part. The second part is to gain his trust. So you will have to kill someone..." Jane paused again.

Lisbon didn't say anything. She just gave him her "you're kidding me" face. Jane chuckled.

"Of course you'll not kill someone, Lisbon. You will make him think you killed someone for him. And to make it realistic, that person must be a cop or a fed."

"And just how is that going to happen?" She asked, her tone indicating some nervousness.

"We will find someone we can trust and he will come with you that night. Montgomery will ask you something to see if he can trust you. You will send our guy a message and he will come to find you. Then, you and Montgomery will wait for him. He will find his badge in his jacket and you will kill him in Montgomery's presence. You will use blank bullets of course," Jane said.

"Okay, that seems easier than part one," Lisbon said, "but I'm sure he will check his pulse. What about then?"

"I'll teach him a trick to lower his heartbeat and to be able to give an illusion of his death. Don't worry about that part. It is in fact very easy and not dangerous at all. He will need something like a smaller ball or a crumpled piece of paper. It should be just big enough to fit under his armpit. Once he has it there, all he needs to do is press his arm against his body. The object under his armpit will press on a major artery in his arm, making it hard for the blood to come through. His pulse should gradually slow down and then completely disappear. After that, Montgomery should trust you completely, and he will show you his factory. Your mobile has GPS so we will track you, after you or Kate have sent us a message. And voila. The end." Jane explained and smiled widely, obviously proud of his genius plan.

"And we will hold indisputable evidence against him. Let's do it. God help us but let's do it," Lisbon said and smiled.

"That's the spirit," Jane said and winked at her.

* * *

Present:

"What do you mean you lost her? Everything was according to plan! He led her to his lab! We received their message! How did you lose them?" Jane yelled angrily, almost spitting the words to the sweating man in front of him.

"We don't know. Something went wrong and he trapped them. They weren't there when we arrived," Matthew explained, nervously fixing his tie. "Their phones were found on the floor, broken."

"Find them now! I don't care how, just do it!" Jane screamed at him, fiercely landing his fist on the desk at the last words, causing Matthew to jump up a bit.

"I asked for a check on his mobile records. And I will go there to look for possible places he may be holding them in," Matthew responded and started walking out fast.

"I'm coming too," Jane said and followed him.

"Why?" Matthew asked.

"Because you are a bunch of idiots and I don't trust you. You had a simple job to do and you screwed up," Jane said angrily and jumped in the car.

* * *

Meanwhile:

Silence. Lisbon began regaining consciousness and felt her head heavy. She tried to slightly open her eyes but her vision was blurry, then she closed them again. Then, she heard a distant voice calling her name. For a few seconds she forgot what had happened and then she remembered Montgomery and his vicious face. She wide-opened her eyes and saw Kate tied up in a chair across her calling her name. She tried to move but she was tied too.

The place was dirty and kind of dark. There were no windows and no sounds came from outside. Lisbon spotted stairs in the room and realized they were in a bassement of an old, abandoned place. She looked at Kate, who looked terrified, and spoke.

"Do you know where we are? Did you see anything?" Lisbon said, trying to remain calm.

"No, I woke up a few minutes earlier. I found us like that and then tried to wake you up. What went wrong in the first place? How did he find out?" Kate asked, more to herself than to Lisbon, as she ran the whole scene in her mind over and over trying to figure out if they missed something.

"I don't know. But he kept us alive and this is good. He needs something from us. We just need to stay calm and gain time so the team can find us," Lisbon said in a low tone.

"Do you think that's possible?" Kate asked in the same tone.

"I'm absolutely sure," Lisbon said and her lips formed a smile at the thought of Jane. She trusted him and she was sure he would save her like he always did. She just needed to wait and stay alive.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Montgomery and his man made their way downstairs. As soon as he laid eyes on them, the room was filled with his mocking laughter, then he stood facing Lisbon.

"So, dear… don't bother lying to me again about you being Ms Prodz cause I know all about it. My friend in the Sac PD made sure to give me a hint about you and your lovely friend Kate Jackson. Who are you? And who do you work for? Why did you take her place?" He asked in a cold and aggressive manner.

"Bite me. I'll tell you nothing," Lisbon snapped at him.

"Is that so? Well, I guess we have to do it with the hard way then. Fine by me. I like it when people beg," Montgomery said as his smile turned into a creepy grin.

He stood up and gave a notion to his man. The man took out a knife and started to make careful but sharp cuts on Lisbon's arms. Lisbon gritted her teeth at first, then calmed her face. She didn't want to give Montgomery the pleasure of watching her in pain, so she closed her eyes, bit her lips and swallowed the urge to scream from the pain. He stopped after a few cuts. Lisbon opened her eyes and saw her blood in her arms. She started to feel a little dizzy but stayed focused on her task.

"So, a tough one?" Montgomery said. "Let's see what your friend thinks about it."

The man did the same to Kate, who after a while cried from the pain. Lisbon painfully watched the scene in front of her and tried to free her hands. Her blood boiled with anger and she wanted to kill that disgusting man with her bare hands. She locked eyes with Kate, who looked weakened now.

"Are you gonna tell me now?" Montgomery asked her.

"No! Go to hell," Lisbon screamed to him furiously.

"Nice. I like the next part. It is quite… amusing," he said with a sly smile.

His man brought a bucket filled with water. He threw ice cubes in it. Lisbon took a big breath and said a desperate prayer in her mind. She wished Jane would find them before it was too late.

* * *

At the same time:

Jane arrived at the lab and once he got out of the car, he ran inside. The place was filled with cops who worked around. He started to look around. He could smell the vanity and the greed in the air. That was Montgomery's work. Now it didn't matter. He was scared about Lisbon. Montgomery lost everything and he would want revenge. Jane shouldn't have listened to her. He should be with her. He tried to keep the negative thinking to himself and to stay focused. He must find her before... No, he can't think of that. He refused to walk that road. He saw a young blond man working on a computer and headed to him.

"Hello, who are you if I might ask?" Jane asked.

"Hello sir, I'm agent Jason Wiley. Agent Pike told me to come and help. And you are?" He asked, slightly annoyed by Jane's obvious nervousness.

"I'm Patrick Jane. I work with agent Lisbon. So, did you find anything in your computer, Wiley?"

"No yet. I did a full research about Montgomery. Nothing too important so far," he said disappointedly.

"Don't look for something in his name. He isn't stupid enough to go there. Hmm," Jane tapped his chin with his fingers, "how about his family's name? From his mother's side. Can you do it?" He asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I can. It won't take much time," the young agent smiled.

After some time of nervous pacing in the room, Jane finally saw the man smile and approached him again.

"Found anything?"

"I think so. I didn't find a place in his mother's name but there is a house which belongs to his cousin. His cousin has passed away and it's empty. It's one and half hour away."

"Very good. Keep looking, I'll go there to check it," Jane said, hurryingly searching for the car key on him.

"Alone?" Wiley asked confused.

"Yes. I don't trust the police here. Look, don't say anything. If you haven't received news from me in a few hours, then go and talk to detective Matthew," Jane said plainly and left quickly.

* * *

The same time at the basement:

Lisbon felt she couldn't breathe. Montgomery's man held her head inside the cold water for the third time. Time by time, he held her in longer than before. Her whole body was cold, her head was in pain and she felt weak from the bleeding. The man finally pulled her out again and she took a deep breath. She saw Kate who had passed out and hoped she was okay.

"Do you want to keep going until you die from hypothermia, or are you ready to sing, my little bird?" Montgomery mocked her.

Lisbon thought for a second. She couldn't bear any more torturing, so talking might earn her some time.

"What do you want to know?" She asked in a tired, weak voice.

Montgomery grinned widely and spoke.

"You finally decided to be a smart girl. Who are you?" He demanded.

"My name is Teresa Lisbon," she said and stared at him with tired but hateful eyes.

"Lisbon? That… name rings some bells but I can't put my finger on it," Montgomery said with a puzzled expression.

"It was many years ago," Lisbon continued. "My mother's name was Clara Lisbon and she was a nurse. She died in a car accident when I was twelve years old. Ring any bell now?" Lisbon asked coldly.

"Oh! I remember. You are her daughter. She was a beautiful woman. A good and honest woman. I truly liked her," he said, lost in his thoughts.

"If you liked her, then why did you have her killed?" Lisbon shouted at him as loudly as her lungs could take it.

"It was necessary to keep my business safe. Nothing personal. How did you learn the truth?" He spoke in a composed, even calm manner.

"Your assassin kept a diary for his daughter. It ended up in my hands. Do you have any idea how I felt when my mother died? Do you know how it felt to see her death happen in front of me?" Lisbon continued as her anger filled her with new energy, despite her worn out state.

"No, I don't. And then you wanted revenge," he interrupted her. "You are not the first person who wants that."

"No. I guess I'm not. But you can't say I don't have a good reason for it. You are finished. The Sac PD are in your little club and your lab. You can't hide forever," Lisbon spout the words at him, forming a satisfied smile in the end.

"True, but I have you and your friend to negotiate with them. I'll get away with it so soon you won't believe it," he mocked and laughed at her face.

"I'll die before that happens. You can't get away with it. If you do it, Matthew or I will hunt you down and kill you. That, I swear," Lisbon snapped at him, talking behind gritted teeth.

"Of course detective Matthew was in it. Such a pity story, his sister..." he said and scoffed.

"What did you do to her?" Lisbon asked in a lower voice.

"She was very beautiful and popular to my customers and… me. She was very good and delicious. But she killed herself. Overdose. What a pity," He continued.

"You are disguising," Lisbon said to him, her veins pulsating with blood.

He came close to her face and laughed hard. Lisbon hit him hard with a sudden move of her head and he cried in pain. He slapped her hard, leaving a red mark in her cheek.

Before he had the chance to do it again, a shot echoed in the room. He turned around and saw his bodyguard dead on the floor, with a bullet buried in his head. Then, he faced a young woman with dark hair, holding a smoking gun in her hands, and a man in black standing next to her with a knife in his hand.

"Who the hell are you?" Montgomery asked with hints of both anger and fear in his voice.

"I have many names but most people know me as Red John," said the man, in his characteristic light voice.

Red John quickly raised his knife and, with swift moves, he stabbed Montgomery at his belly, making him scream in pain. Shortly after, he removed it only to stick it to his neck. With one move, he slit the man's throat and his blood ran like a river. Montgomery's body fiercely landed on the bloodstained floor.

Lisbon watched the scene in horror and shock. She looked at Kate but she was still unconscious. She looked at the other woman – guessing she is the woman Jane met, Lorelei - who looked at her with obvious distaste.

"If you want to kill me, do it fast. I don't want a chit chat," Lisbon said, trying to keep her voice composed.

"Feisty, hm? I like that in a woman. It's good to see you again. Even under these circumstances. I don't want to kill you, Teresa. At least not yet," he said and his voice indicated he was smiling behind the mask, which creeped out Lisbon even more in his presence.

"Then what do you want?" She asked in confusion.

"Nothing. I just wanted to end this ridiculous story here. I didn't like that your focus wasn't on me. I'm a selfish man, Teresa. I'm not the bad guy here. To prove it, I will not kill or touch your friend there. I will let her live for you," he said in a calm, almost warm tone. He approached her and continued:

"Do you know that you are immensely beautiful? Really beautiful. Those eyes of yours can subdue everyone. I wish I could kiss you right now but my mask doesn't help it."

Lorelei watched the scene as waves of anger and tension filled her gradually. She didn't like the affection her master showed on that woman. She approached slowly and saw Red John turning away from Lisbon.

Red John kept that distance for a few moments, and then he closed in Lisbon's ear and spoke softly:

"O rose, thou art sick!  
The invisible worm,  
That flies in the night,  
In the howling storm,  
Has found out thy bed  
Of crimson joy,  
And his dark secret love  
Does thy life destroy." (William Blake - The sick rose)

And then he disappeared in the dark, and Lisbon passed out.


	9. Recovery

**Hello guys! Here's the new chapter :) thank you again for your support, it means a lot to us. Let us know what you think of this chapter in the reviews. Credits to my co-writing partner, oneiroitane, for her always awesome ideas. She has written some Mentalist stories of her own in her own account, and I've gotta say I'm pretty impressed. Here's her latest one: s/11437360/1/ it's really good. Your support is deeply appreciated!**

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Jane's POV

I drove like a madman to that house. I arrived 68 minutes later. I spotted a jeep outside the house and I knew it belonged to Montgomery. There was an eerie silence and peace around the place, I couldn't even hear the wind passing through the trees. I was scared for Lisbon, thinking something terrible might have happened to her.

I grabbed Lisbon's gun and a flashlight from the car's cabinet and I quickly made my way inside. I searched the first floor but there was no sign of them. I reached the kitchen and I found a door that should lead to the basement. My blood froze the moment I laid my eyes on a familiar symbol. A red, smiling face. It seemed to have been drawn with blood. I almost felt the earth crumble under my feet. Not Lisbon. She couldn't be dead.

I fiercely opened the door and ran downstairs, not even thinking about how that rush could get me in trouble. The smell of blood was intense in the air. First, I saw Montgomery and his man dead on the floor, lying in a lake of their own blood. Something terrible must have happened. With no further analyzing, I quickly searched for the one person that interests me. I found Lisbon and Kate tied up on their chairs, both of them seemingly unconscious. There was blood on their clothes.

My blood froze at that moment. Passing by Kate, I ran towards Lisbon and desperately examined her. Her body was cold and pale. I searched for pulse. When I found a weak one, I closed my eyes and puffed out in relief, blessed that I found her alive.

Not losing any more precious time, I called an ambulance and then, Matthew. In the same time, I untied Lisbon from her chair and laid her in my arms to keep her warm. I whispered some encouraging words to her while running my fingers through her hair and I felt my eyes burn, then some hot tears ran down my cheeks.

The minutes until the ambulance arrived were longer than ever. She couldn't die now. Not because of me. The paramedics also found Kate was alive. In my pain, I had barely given any attention to her. It was all so blurry at that moment. Eventually, they took care of them but I wasn't allowed in the ambulance with them. They rushed to the hospital and I stayed behind, anxiously waiting for Matthew.

When he arrived, I described the situation to him, how I found them. He asked me about the red symbol and Red John. I really didn't have an explanation for him. Why was Red John here? Why didn't he kill Lisbon and Kate? Why did he use a gun on Montgomery's man? So many unanswered questions, thought at that moment I couldn't care less. I just wanted to be next to Lisbon.

A few hours later, I was sitting in the hospital's waiting room. The doctors were still working on Lisbon. She was in a worse condition than Kate.  
When the doctor approached us, I almost jumped out of my seat, anxiously waiting for the news. He told us Lisbon would recover completely. She had a slight fever and her wounds turned out to be mainly on her skin, not deep cuts.

I went to see her inside. I watched her as she was lying on the bed quietly and peacefully. She seemed so vulnerable. I took her hand and held it in my hands, not too fiercely but firmly enough to keep it warm. She would be fine. She didn't die. She didn't let him kill her. That's my Lisbon. I smiled and blinked back a few tears that attempted to escape my eyes. Holding on those relieving thoughts, I let myself drift into a light slumber on that armchair, with her hand still in mine.

I woke up in a most unpleasant and sudden way, as a cry pierced through the silence. I opened my eyes and saw Lisbon whispering something. She seemed to have a nightmare again. I tried to understand what she was saying. I didn't make much out of it but I heard my name. She was calling me. Even in her sleep she was worried about me. I smiled warmly and caressed her face, whispering everything was going alright. That she was safe. She must have heard me in her sleep as I noticed she relaxed shortly after. I couldn't stop smiling.

She woke up the next morning. At first, she struggled in her attempt to open her eyes as the light in the room was rather intense for her vulnerable state. I quickly got up and closed the window blinds, then sat in her side again. She was clearly in pain. She casually examined the scenery around her only rolling her eyes, then she looked at me in a confused expression. For a moment, I feared she didn't recognize me. Then, she gave me a slight smile and I felt my heartbeat calming down.

"Where are we?" She asked in a husky voice.

"We are in Mercy Hospital. In Chicago. Do you remember what happened?" I asked her, studying her reactions closely.

"Yes… Montgomery. He found out what happened and got us." She looked around the room. "Where is Kate? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Better than you, actually. You made me sick with worry," I said, trying not to let my full emotional state show.

"I am sorry. It was not my intention," she answered, then I smiled.

"How are you feeling? Do you want me to call the nurse? Do you need anything?"

"No, no… it's okay. Stay here. How did you find us?"

"Well, I looked for any kind of property in Montgomery's name and I found an old house in his cousin's name. What did he do to you? Do you remember?" I said, as my tone grew impatient at the last words.

"Montgomery was furious about our plan. He had a friend, a spy in Chicago P.D. who told him about the operation. He wanted to learn what evidence we had against him and what my part was in all this. At first, I refused to tell him and he cut me and Kate with a knife. Kate passed out a while later and I was too weak to keep on resisting, so I talked to him. I tried to gain some time." Her gaze met mine. "I knew you would find us."

"And then? Do you remember anything about Red John?"

She paused shortly as the memories gradually unraveled in her mind.

"Montgomery was ready to kill me when I heard a gunshot. I saw his man dead on the floor. At first everything was confusing and things were happening so fast and… I saw a woman holding a smoking gun in her hand. I'm guessing she was Lorelei, the woman you met in Las Vegas. She fitted your description. Then, I saw him, Red John. He came closer and killed Montgomery right in front of me."

"Did he say anything to you?" I asked, realizing I was almost holding my breath cause of the tension.

"I told him if he wanted to kill me, he'd better do it fast. I didn't want any chit chat. He laughed at me and told he didn't want to kill me, at least not yet. It was strange. I kind of had that feeling, that he was familiar to me, as if we had met before. He told me he wanted me back to his case, with no distractions."

"Hmm…" I pondered for a few seconds. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Before leaving, he whispered a poem in my ear. William Blake's 'The sick rose.'"

"How do you know of it?" I asked, momentarily widening my eyes in surprise.

"I read some of his poems when you told me about the one with, uh, the tiger. What do you think it means…?"

I folded my arms and tapped my chin with a finger while examining the possibilities in my mind. "I don't know, Lisbon. He is playing us."

Suddenly, the door opened fiercely and a worried-to-death Van Pelt came in. She momentarily paused to look at Lisbon, and without saying anything, she rushed towards Lisbon and hugged her as firmly as the latter's vulnerable state allowed it. Behind the redhead entered Cho, Rigsby and Wainright.

Van Pelt released Lisbon and smiled at her.

"Gosh, Teresa. Are you okay? Detective Matthew called yesterday and told us what happened. We took the first flight to see you."

"Everything is fine, Grace. I just need some rest. Nothing too serious," Lisbon said with a warm smile. She turned to the others. "Thanks for coming, all of you. I missed you."

"What happened, agent Lisbon? I heard you worked undercover. Why wasn't I informed about this?" Wainright said in his bossy, strict tone.

"Everything happened so fast, boss. I didn't find the time to explain myself. I'm sorry."

His expression calmed. "Well. Stay here for now, get better and we'll talk about it later. I have to go and meet the chief of Chicago P.D. to close the case. Detective Matthew is coming to take your report," he said and left.

"Is there anything you need help with, boss?" Rigsby asked.

"Yes. Please, find my brothers and explain to them what happened. I don't want them to hear it from the news."

"Got it boss," said Cho and nodded to Rigsby to follow him out.

"I'll go grab something to eat and take a bath. I'll come back as fast as I can, if that's okay with you. Van Pelt, you don't mind keeping her some company, right?" I said.

"I don't need a sitter," said Lisbon in an almost grumpy tone.

"I'm not a sitter, boss. I just want to talk with you. Don't worry, Jane, you can leave," said the redhead with a smile.

"I'll be back soon, ladies. Stay out of trouble."

"Hey. I'm not the one known for being a pain in the ass, like someone else in here," Lisbon said in a fake serious tone, her lips slightly curling into a smirk at the end of the sentence. I cracked a smile to her, chuckling a bit and left.

Lisbon's POV

Van Pelt stayed with me and we talked. I missed my job and my team. I can't wait to go back to my old life. Grace was very helpful and supporting to me. She helped me clean up. I explained to her the reason I left them out of this case. She was very understanding. We talked about several cases, life at the CBI, we recalled some good old memories. I liked talking to her again. It relaxed me.

Soon, the doctor came in to check on me. He told me I could go the day after tomorrow but I would have to take things easy.

An hour later, Nathan came in and I asked Van Pelt to leave us. She walked out of the room and he sat on the bed, right next to me.

"You look like crap."

"Have you looked yourself at a mirror, lady? You are a mess," he responded with a sly smirk.

"Just getting through this. How are you holding up after his death…?" I asked as discreetly as I could and he knew exactly what I meant.

"I feel… lighter. Like something ended. I wanted him to suffer in prison, I would have arranged it. But now I feel empty. He ended up being a part of me, am obsession. I'm good."

We exchanged smiles.

"I'm glad you feel okay. I thought you would be sad about your sister."

"Deep down, I knew it. We found the place he buried her and the other victims. I can finally give her a proper funeral. Life goes on. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Jane found us just in the nick of time," I said and readjusted my position on that slightly uncomfortable mattress.

"I was really scared when you disappeared. I felt my blood boil with anger and hatred," he said. I paused and looked at him with a puzzled expression, but the look on his face showed he really meant what he said.

"I'm… fine. Don't go there. Let the whole thing be a memory. A reminder. Don't keep all these things inside you. It isn't healthy. You can start a new life now, without ghosts of the past. It's a good thing."

"I know, Teresa. And I thank you for it. If it weren't for you, this story would have ended in a completely different way. I'm so happy you are fine. I'm so glad I met you," he said and leaned on me and embraced me firmly. I hugged him back and felt him relaxing in my arms.

"Am I interrupting anything?" We didn't hear the door open and broke the hug awkwardly as soon as we heard Jane's voice.

"No, Jane, everything is fine. We just had an emotional moment about the whole thing. It's about Montgomery…" said Nathan as composedly as he could.

"I can see it. Don't you have to be somewhere else, Detective Matthew?"

"JANE!"

"No, he is right, Teresa. I must return to the department to fill some paperwork. I will call you later," he said in a casual manner and left shortly after.

"That was rude, Jane. What is the matter with you?"

He looked at me as if I said the most absurd thing.

"What? I don't know what you mean. What did the doctor say?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Changing the topic, I see. Anyway, he told me I am recovering well and he'll let me go in about two days. I can't wait to go home."

"Are you sure you don't want to spend some time with your brothers?"

This time I was the one to give him that look. "Are you serious? Have you seen my brothers all together in one room? I prefer being in a cage with a lion."

"Can't be that bad…" he said, tilting his head to the side, trying to imagine the hilarious scenery.

I scoffed. "They are imps. They will drive me crazy. I love them but they are a bigger pain in the ass than you."

"Hmm," he spoke with a sly smile, "though I see how you deal with me now."

"Believe me when I say, they were worse than you when we lived together."

"I find that hard to believe but fine."

* * *

3 days later: Jane's POV

"Oh, it's so good to be home," Lisbon sighed and opened the door of her apartment.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," I said with my eyes on her. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you go take a bath and I'll find something we can chew."

She chuckled. "You don't have to look after me. You should probably go home and get some rest too. I will order something and go to sleep."

I insisted. "Go have your bath. Leave the ordering to me, we can have dinner together and I'll go when you sleep."

"As if you ever listen to me…" she said cracking a smile and made her way upstairs.

45 minutes later, we were sitting on the couch while watching a movie and eating Chinese. I turned to her and spoke first.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. That bath was all I needed. Thanks for your help… I really appreciate it Jane," she said, looking in my eyes with a grateful expression. That warmed my heart.

"It's the least I could do," I said with a smile. "Well… I should probably go. You need sleep anyway." I stood up and then paused. "Are you sure you don't want me around here to help you anyway?"

"I'm sure. I'll be fine," she said with a warm smile.

"If you need anything…"

"I know. I'll call you. Thanks for everything, Jane."

"Anything for you, Lisbon," I said and leaned over to gently pull her in a hug.

* * *

Lisbon leaned in Jane's arms and cherished the feeling. He cared for her so much. He might be some real trouble sometimes, but he was always there for her whenever she needed it. Time flew and before they knew it, he had left. Lisbon let a sigh and went to bed.

A figure in the dark watched Jane getting in his car and driving away. The figure stayed hidden in the darkness and watched Lisbon's house. When the lights went off, the figure pulled out a knife and carefully headed inside.


	10. 15 October 2005

**Here's the new chapter. Again, thank all of you who support us in this story, we appreciate every fave, follow and review!**  
**Gotta say that exam period is upon us so we may not upload as often, but we will do our best. Enjoy!**

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Lisbon found herself unable to sleep. She switched sides on the mattress several times, puffing out in discomfort until she accepted the fact that sleep wasn't going to happen. She groaned and pulled the blanket away, then stood up from her bed. She hurryingly made her way to the bathroom and examined her reflection on the mirror. She hated that blond hair. She looked awful with those black circles around her eyes. The events of the previous days took their toll on her. She had lost weight and she looked tired.

She took a deep breath and opened her cabinet. She took a small bag of hair dye and examined it.

"Let's do this…"

* * *

An amount of time later, her hair had its natural colour again. "It's a start," she thought to herself. As she was cleaning up the bathroom, she remembered of the moment she faced Red John and felt shivers running down her spine. She couldn't get his words out of her head. His breath in her ear. She felt sick at the mere thought of it.

When she was done, she went to the kitchen and prepared a cup of tea in order to relax. The next day would be her first day back to work after all of this, and she knew there would be a ton of paperwork that had to be filled, and so many meetings to be at. On top of all that, there was something else that made her nervous. She and Jane were away from the Bureau for months and there were several rumours going around the office about them. The fact that they kept that operation secret only made it worse. She was certain they thought she and Jane left together. If only they knew how wrong they were.

How did her life end up being so complicated? Such a mess. If only she could make her ghosts go away, she might then have a chance to be happy all over again. She deserved to be happy. To be loved by someone.

She shook her head and took the last sip. It wasn't the time to think like that. After all, she had a long day ahead of her. She headed back to bed. Once she pulled the blanket on her, she turned off the light next to her and closed her eyes.

* * *

She was half asleep when her ears caught a weird noise. At first, she thought it was the air coming from outside her window, but then she realized the source of that wave was too close to her. She opened her eyes and saw a figure dressed in black leaning above her. At that instant, her cop instinct kicked out and, without further thinking, she punched him on his stomach, and with the other hand she grabbed his arm and made him face the mattress with great force. As she was holding him down tightly, with swift moves her other hand reached to her nightstand and quickly turned on the light and reached to her drawer, grabbed a pair of handcuffs and applied them on his hands.

When she made sure the handcuffs locked his hands on his back, she grabbed him again and pulled his hood. To her most unexpected surprise, that person wasn't a man but a woman. Not just any woman though, but Red John's girl. Lisbon frowned in confusion for a while, but shortly snapped out of it and spoke in her demanding, strict tone.

"Why are you here? Why did Red John send you?"

"Go to hell. I'm not obliged to tell you anything!" Lorelei scoffed and looked at her with disgust.

"Oh, we'll have plenty of time to talk," said Lisbon and took her cell phone of her nightstand, fiercely holding Lorelei down, who wasn't much in position to free herself at that state.  
First, Lisbon was about to call Jane but in the very last second, she changed her mind and called Cho.

* * *

Cho arrived about twenty minutes later. He helped Lisbon put Lorelei in the car, then Lisbon stole a couple of minutes to change clothes. Then, she entered the car in the driver's seat and drove to CBI, with Cho guarding Lorelei in the back seat.

When they arrived, she told Cho to escort Lorelei to the interrogation room and watch her until Lisbon joined them. She watched them leave and took a deep breath, making her way to the attic. Without knocking on the door, she opened it and entered. Jane was sitting on his chair with a cup of tea in his hands, obviously lost in his thoughts. He realized her presence immediately and widened his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here? You should be in your bed resting, Lisbon," he snapped at her.

"I was, but something happened," Lisbon said in a composed tone with a serious expression.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" he asked as his expression changed to a concerned one.

"I… was almost attacked at home. By Red John's friend. Lorelei."

Jane opened his mouth to speak but remained quiet and his eyes widened at the realization of what could have happened.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Jane asked as he visually examined her.

"No, I defended myself. I'm fine."

"What about her? Where is she now?"

"Here."

"Here?" He scoffed. "Why didn't you call me? You shouldn't be alone."

"I wasn't alone. I called Cho for backup," she said, lowering her voice in the last words, knowing what kind of reaction Jane would show about that part.

"What did you do?" He yelled furiously at her.

"I was ready to call you but I panicked! I know about your obsession with Red John. I thought Cho would be a better option at that moment," she tried to explain as composedly as she could.

Jane took a deep breath and cleared his voice, composing himself.

"I see… where is she now?" He asked coldly.

"She's with Cho in the interrogation room."

His eyes pierced her for a few seconds, and he left without a word.  
Lisbon took a deep breath, closing her eyes to calm herself and followed him.  
When they reached the interrogation room, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Why did you follow me?"

"Excuse me? Do you think I will let you talk to her alone?" Lisbon asked with a nervous grin.

"I don't think so. I demand it," he said coldly.

"You're kidding me, right? She almost killed me and you want me to stay out of this?" She said in a confused expression as her tone was growing more impatient.  
He tried to calm himself and spoke.

"Lisbon, we will get more out of her if I speak to her alone."

"No way. I will be in that room or I will make sure you don't get to speak to her at all," she said demandingly.

"Lisbon, please! This is not the time to be stubborn," he said with a groan.

"I agree to that," she answered, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms.

"Fine," he puffed out, "whatever you want." And he opened the door.

Inside, they saw Lorelei sitting on a chair, bearing an emotionless expression. Cho was sitting across her and stood up, offering the chair to Lisbon. She nodded and took the seat, and Jane leaned backwards, supporting himself on the mirror behind Lisbon. Lisbon was the first who spoke.

"Thank you, Cho. Please, leave us alone with Miss Martins."

Cho nodded at her and left quietly.

"So, I finally get to meet 'Saint Teresa.' I had quite a different picture of you in my mind, to be honest," said Lorelei with a slight smirk, while leaning frontwards and supporting herself on her elbows.

"You have heard about me…? How? By Red John?" Lisbon asked, trying to keep a neutral and cool exterior.

"Maybe. Maybe I heard about you from someone else," she said with a grin and looked at Jane. "Did he tell you we were lovers?"

Lisbon felt cold chills running down her spine at the sound of that, but her expression remained neutral. She wouldn't give that slut the satisfaction of knowing she managed to make her feel uneasy. Lisbon now realized why Jane didn't want her in the room. She felt furiously mad at him. She turned to him and pierced him with her eyes before facing Lorelei again.

"I don't care about his love life. Now, answer my question," she said in a composed and serious tone, like the professional she was.

"Really, agent Lisbon? You don't care? I thought you were his friend. I thought friends care about each other," Lorelei responded in a fake surprised manner, clearly avoiding the question as mockingly as she could.

"My relationship with Jane is our business. Don't try to provoke me, cause you can't," Lisbon said as plainly as she could.

Lorelei examined her with a smirk on her face. Lisbon was used to take attempts of emotional manipulation during the interrogation, so pretty much nothing would get past that poker face. Jane, on the other hand, was slowly growing tense at that moment.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Said Lorelei, leaning to the back of the seat in a more comfortable and relaxed position, still with that slight smile on her face.

"Why did you break in Lisbon's place? What did Red John have you do?" Jane asked in a serious tone.

"Nothing. I went there by my own will," Lorelei replied in a cold manner.

"Why? Wasn't that supposed to make him mad at you then? I mean, you acted behind his back," Lisbon asked in confusion.

"Yes. I know he'll be furious but he'll forgive me," Lorelei said with a smile, showing an annoying confidence.

"Because you're such an important person to him," Lisbon stated in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes, I am," said Lorelei sharply as the smirk was wiped off of her face, "I am important to him. Not you!" She snapped.

"Please. You are only his slave. A person to do his every binding and nothing more. He doesn't care about you. He'll just send you anywhere to do his dirty business. You're only a good looking, stupid assistant," Jane said in a calm tone that indicated he almost felt pity for her.

"Don't you dare saying that again! I'm everything to him," Lorelei spouted at him, almost hammering the table with her hands.

"I think I'm gonna agree with Jane. It doesn't seem like it," said Lisbon.

"Take Lisbon for example," Jane said. "I mean, look at her. Nobody ever made the decisions for her. Nobody made her do anything against her own judgement."

"He didn't force me. I decided for myself!" Lorelei snapped again.

"So, was it your decision to sleep with Jane?" Lisbon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I agreed to that."

"And where would you be now, had you disagreed?" Jane asked in a serious tone but with hints of sarcasm.

Lorelei was about to answer back but no sound came out. She paused for a second in silence, then raised her gaze with a slight smile.

"I know what you are trying to do, and it won't work."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lisbon said in an innocent manner, then got serious again. "But back to my first question. Why were you in my house? And what does Red John want from me?"

"Because I want you out of the picture. You're nothing but a mere pawn in that game, acting like the queen," Lorelei said in a clearly provoking tone, looking at Lisbon with disdain.

"I'm the pawn?" Lisbon scoffed. "You think I would ever want to replace you in Red John's life?" She let out a nervous laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He seems to have some sort of… connection with you. An admiration. I really can't understand why," Lorelei responded with contempt clearly showing in her face.

"An admiration for what? He hasn't even met her," Jane said, folding his arms with a confused expression on his face.

"Who said he's never met her?" Lorelei said, forming a most mischievous grin.

"What?" Jane and Lisbon exclaimed as one.

"When?" Lisbon asked nervously.

"October the 15th, 2005. I am certain you remember that night well," Lorelei said with the same smirk, piercing Lisbon with her gaze. "I said everything I had to. I'm not saying anything else," she said and leaned back on her chair.

Lisbon's face turned pale and her expression froze, and for a moment, Jane thought she forgot how to breathe.

"_That man was Red John?"_ She thought as she slightly massaged her forehead with her fingers, trying to calm down. Lorelei just looked at her in silence and Jane was lost in his own thoughts for that moment, tapping his chin now and then. He whispered to Lisbon to follow him and held her arm, then gently picked her up and they headed out of the room.

On their way, Jane told Cho to go and watch Lorelei again, and then led Lisbon to the attic, where he usually stayed. One they were inside, he closed the door and offered her a seat. As soon as she sat down, he started preparing tea for the both of them. Lisbon was still thinking about what Lorelei said, and no one of them spoke until Jane offered her the tea he prepared for her. He sat across her and, taking a sip from his cup, he spoke.

"What was that about that night?" He asked in a warm tone.

She looked at him, took a deep breath and started explaining.

"It was a long day at the office. When I returned home I couldn't sleep because of the tension, so I went for jogging. Gosh, Jane, it was terrible. I lived near the docks at the time and I used to jog there pretty often. That night, I heard screams coming out of a building. I immediately called for backup, pulled out my gun and made my way inside. I found a half-naked woman, whose hands were tied to a cord, hanging from the ceiling. She cried for help and then I saw him. He was behind her, raping her, Jane. It was disgusting. I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a hoodie.

I yelled at him and he placed a knife against her neck and told me to stay back. I said I have already called for backup and he would be surrounded in minutes. Before I knew it, he pulled out a gun and started shooting at me. I immediately covered myself behind a desk. He left the woman and hid behind some column. A while later, we were both out of bullets. He tried to approach me with his knife. We fought and I managed to kick him on the leg. He lost his balance and I took the knife, and stabbed him at his stomach. He fell unconscious and I was about to go untie the woman.

However, that was when everything goes blank in my memory. Someone must have hit me on the head from behind and I fainted. I woke up at the hospital and Bosco told me the rest. They found the guy's dead body and the woman, and carried me there. Jane, Bosco told me the guy was dead when they found us. How could that man be Red John? He is dead!" Lisbon snapped in frustration, running her fingers through her hair.

"Calm down," Jane said in a calm tone, looking deeply in her eyes. "I don't know what happened, Lisbon. But I promise you we will figure this out."

He smiled warmly at her and her lips formed a slight smile too, changing her stressed expression into a more hopeful one. Then, Jane stood up and spoke on his way out.

"Stay here and try to relax. I will be back soon."

Lisbon nodded and he left.  
He headed to the bullpen and found the rest of the team gathered there. Cho must have called them. As soon as they greeted each other, Jane spoke.

"Van Pelt, go to Sac PD and look for an old case of Lisbon. I don't know any details, except for the date," he said and turned to Rigsby. "Rigsby, you and Cho will take shifts to protect Lorelei."

"What's going on, Jane?" Rigsby asked. "Why is the boss so upset? And why are you here?"

"Wainwright fired me again when we were in Chicago. We finally have a lead to Red John. Everything is fine. Now, please go. I will explain everything to you later," he said and headed to the interrogation room. He needed to talk with her, and this time, alone.

He opened the door and entered. Lorelei was still sitting on that chair, lost in her thoughts. The moment her gaze met his, her lips formed a flirtatious smile.

"I see you came alone this time, lover. Where is your dear friend? Is she watching us behind that glass?" She said in a calm tone, with hints of seduction.

"No, she doesn't," he responded composedly and picked up the chair across her, placed it beside her and sat down. "She told me about that night. How would Red John feel about it?"

"He instructed me to say it. He said if I was someday caught by you, I should tell you what happened."

"Why? What does he want?" Jane asked a little too eagerly.

Lorelei grinned at him and switched her position on her chair to face him better, then made herself comfortable and responded.

"Oh, Jane. You think you're clever but you're not. He wants you to know how powerful he is. You all are his puppets," she said in a confident tone and Jane tried to maintain his composure. She leaned closer and continued with a smirk on her face.

"He enjoyed playing with your life. He liked being your priority, watching you get more and more miserable every day, every time you couldn't catch him. Why do you think he sent me to you? He knew you faked your breakdown and that you would feel guilty the next day. That, in a way, you betrayed your family and Lisbon. I enjoyed that thought too," she said, cherishing the look on Jane's face, which was dead serious, obviously because he was trying too hard not to snap at her.

"How did he fake his death? They had found a body," Jane said in a serious and cold tone.

"The master was hurt. I had arrived with one of his friends when Lisbon was about to untie the woman. She didn't even notice us, we sneaked up at her and the other one from behind. Once they were unconscious, we took care of the master. He had me take the knife and kill his friend, so that he would switch places with him on the crime scene. He didn't want the cops to start looking for him, so we let them think it was that guy. Brilliant, right?" She said with a satisfied smile.

"Brilliant is not the word I would use," Jane said in an even colder tone.

"Oh gosh," she chuckled. "She has made you soft. She changed you. What happened to 'everything necessary for the cause?'"

"Unlike you, I have gained a conscience. I'm far from being a good guy but at least I don't sacrifice everything in the name of vengeance. Where's the meaning in _your_ actions?" He asked.

"Why do you bother? You're trying to hold back the tide with a broom. I think… you are doing this to be close to Teresa Lisbon. I think there's much more to this bonding of you two than what you care to admit," she said with a widening grin, but before Jane responded, she spoke again. "As for me, don't you worry. I will be out soon. How and when is up to Red John."

"You think he'll get you out of this?" He scoffed. "He'll kill you. It's easier."

"That's okay, if that's what he wants," she said calmly.

"So, his control over you reaches that far."

"Oh, he'll kill you as well if that's what he wants. You just can't accept the fact."

Jane paused for a moment, smiling almost nervously at the thought of what man has done to her. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke in a warmer tone.

"I can make you a better offer. No killing. I can get you out of here today, if you want. I can get you money, a new identity, set you up with a new life, away from here."

She examined his face in disbelief at first, narrowing her eyes.

"You can do that?"

"Yes, I can. I can do anything you want if you give me Red John," Jane said in a serious tone, looking deeply in her eyes. She lowered her gaze and a few seconds later, she spoke with hints of a growing tension in her.

"Sorry, Patrick, but I can't do that. He is my whole universe. My master. I can't!"

He nodded, pressing his lips together.

"We're gonna have to keep you here then. We'll talk again soon," he said, giving her a cold glance and hurryingly got up and left.


	11. In sickness and in fights

**Well, that exam time was some real pain. Anyway, here's the new chapter. We wish to thank you for your patience and your continuous support, guys. There are lots of things to attend to and we try our best to find some balance with that, and not squeezing the inspiration out of this too hard.**  
**Let us know if you like the flow of the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jane closed the door of the interrogation room and headed to the attic again. He intended to speak with Lisbon but when he opened the door, he found the room was empty. Lisbon was nowhere to be seen. He immediately panicked and raced downstairs, rushing to her office. She wasn't there either. He checked the bullpen and asked Cho about her. He didn't know anything about it. Jane let out a deep sigh and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. He took out his cell phone and tried to call her, but the call went straight to voice mail. He left her a voice message, asking her to call him back.

He hung up the phone and decided that some tea would help him calm down, so he headed to his private room again. He was afraid for Lisbon. He had never seen her like this before. Lorelei managed to get under her skin. Lisbon was wearing that mask of composure so well in her presence, but it completely crumbled when Jane led her to the attic. He needed a plan and he needed it now. Lorelei gave him more information about Red John and, she was in custody. He was so close, he knew it, and he felt it.

The last 6 months in Vegas turned out to be a total waste. Somehow, Red John saw his bluff coming and turned it around. He had Lorelei play with Jane's feelings and relationship with Lisbon, and Jane fell for that like some amateur. How could he possibly explain that night to Lisbon? He felt so ashamed, cold, broken, desperately seeking her forgiveness.

He struggled to compose himself and analyze the new situation as he swallowed nervously. He couldn't explain what he had done. The team had questions he was afraid to answer. After all those long months of his absence, they stood by his side again, trying to help him. He had not betrayed Lisbon alone, by his actions he betrayed the team as well. That little family of theirs.

He finished his tea and headed to his couch. He tried to reach Lisbon again, with no success. He asked Cho to locate Lisbon's phone. Cho was hesitant at first. One hour later, there was still no sign of Lisbon, so he joined in. He located her in a local church, not very far from CBI. Jane grabbed his jacket and went to see her.

* * *

The church was empty due to the late hour. He saw her sitting on one of the chairs. He was uncertain of how to approach her. At first he thought about sitting next to her, then he decided to take a seat behind her. He sat there silently and a few seconds passed before Lisbon broke the silence, without turning to face him.

"What do you want, Jane?" She said in a low, tired tone.

"I was worried about you. You turned off your phone," Jane responded softly.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "Leave me alone, Jane."

Jane slightly leaned on the front and spoke in a low, comforting tone.

"Come on, Lisbon. Let's go… I can tell you're not okay. You need to rest. You are still on recovery," he said, and softly touched her shoulder.

Lisbon instantly twitched and jerked away from his touch as if she was hit by electricity. Jane closed his eyes bitterly and removed his hand, deeply hurt.

"How can I help you, Lisbon?" He said in a low tone.

"Don't pretend you care, Jane. Go!" She snapped at him.

"I care about you, Lisbon. You are my… my best friend," he said in a more convincing and serious manner.

"Is that so? Cause, in my opinion, I believe I am nothing but a big, fat zero to you!" She yelled at him angrily, and Jane's expression grew irritated.

"That's not true and you know it."

"Then why did you lie to me and shut me out? I thought we would share stuff. Important stuff. But it seems I was wrong," she said half-angrily, half-bitterly.

"I told you about Las Vegas and some of my thoughts about Red John," he responded, looking deeply in her eyes, trying to make her understand his position in this, completely failing.

"Why didn't you tell me about your involvement with Lorelei? You made me look like a fool in there!" She snapped again, her tone growing louder with the rising rage in her.

"Are you mad about me not telling you, or about something else, Lisbon?" He snapped too, as his tone grew louder.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She stood up, and faced him, piercing him with her gaze.

"I think you know what I meant. There is no reason to hide from the truth, Lisbon." He said in a calm tone, looking deeply in here yes.

"You crossed the line, Jane. Stop it now."

"Did I hit a spot there?"

"I said stop!" She yelled at him stormed out of the church, running.

Jane immediately went after her and caught her at the end of the stairs. He grabbed her arms and held her closely to his body. Lisbon struggled in his arms but he held her tight.

"No, you won't go run away. Not this time," he said determined, locking gazes with her.

"You have quite the nerve to talk to me about it. You are the master in this," she practically hissed the last words at him.

"I know I hurt you, deceived you and you are mad, but I can't let you go. Not now," he tried to calm her down, using an apologetic tone and his grip on her relaxed.

"Of course. You need me to get to Red John. I'm just a mean to an end to you, right?" She said bitterly, not struggling anymore, trying hard to maintain what's left of her composure and to hold back the gathering tears.

"Stop saying that. You mean everything to me. How can you be so blind? Even Lorelei and Red John know," he said, and at the last words, his voice almost cracked.

"What can't I see, Jane? There is nothi—" Lisbon started but was interrupted midsentence by Jane's lips as they crashed on hers.

He didn't mean to kiss her, his mind kept screaming at him but he couldn't stop himself this time. Her lips were soft and sweet against his. His arms tightened around her, refusing to leave her now. Lisbon froze in shock at first, then she started kissing him back softly, gently and almost too scared to move.

When they broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers with eyes closed shut, relishing every second of that moment. He felt his heart beating fast and he didn't realize the aching need of air until the very second he parted with those delicious lips. Lisbon was no less dumbfounded as she felt his warm breath softly blowing on her face.

"I can't give you more than this kiss, Lisbon," his deep, raspy voice interrupted the silence. "I wish I could, but that would target you as well… how am I going to protect you, Lisbon? I'm so scared," he whispered.

She raised her gaze on him as her eyes locked with his, one of the few times her expression had been so full of unconcealed emotion and vulnerability.

"I know. But we can't change that. I feel so tired, Jane. I don't think I can take it anymore," she said and in gentle but quick moves, she released herself from his embrace.

"Lisbon, don't leave me now," he said, his tone clearly growing desperate.

"I won't. I will keep working with you, Jane, but I need some space. I can't go through that again. I'm sorry," she said as composedly and calmly as she could. She took a deep breath and her expression calmed down. She cleared her voice and spoke in her low, professional tone.

"Come on. We have work to do," she said and turned her back to Jane, pacing towards the car.

Defeated, Jane followed her, but just before she attempted to enter the car, he reached her and turned her to face him.

"You have nothing to be afraid of. I swear, Lisbon, hell will freeze before I let him touch you."

"I'm not afraid of him, Jane. It's about you," she said bitterly serious.

"Don't say that. Everything is going to be fine," he said, clearly losing some of his composure.

"You just ignore it. I'm afraid of the person you're turning into, Jane. Sometimes I feel I don't know you at all. You're so full of all this hatred that you have no idea how to act like a human being. You let him in, Jane, and he transforms you into a cold, heartless beast. And I don't want any kind of involvement with that man," she said, unable to hold back the forming tears in her eyes this time.

"I was never a good person, Lisbon. You made me want to be a better man. You need to believe me when I say I'll protect you. Because…" he paused for a second. "Because I love you. There, I said it. And it's the truth. It's how I feel," he said, struggling to control his breathing pace and his tone on a steady level.

Lisbon completely cracked at that, she lowered her gaze for a second, wiped some tears away with her hands, and then looked deeply in his eyes again. She responded bitterly.

"You may say the words but they are only words, Jane. You don't love me. You don't know how to love. You blamed Red John for your sadness and loneliness, but all of that is because of you, Jane. You think you don't deserve to be happy. The only one standing in the way of your happiness is you. And I am tired of waiting for you to see it," her voice cracked at the last words and, with that, she quickly got in the car and drove away, leaving him staring at her, completely speechless.

Jane watched the car leave and ran his fingers through his hair. Things between them had been much worse than he thought. What did he expect? Lisbon's words and tears cut him open, left him paralyzed. He took a deep breath and decided to walk to CBI. He must be strong now. Lorelei was their best shot to catch Red John and he would find a way to break her.

* * *

_Back to CBI:_

Lisbon entered the bullpen and found Rigsby in there alone. She slightly frowned and asked.

"Where is Cho? And Van Pelt?"

Rigsby bounced up a bit as he snapped out of his daydreams.

"Van Pelt went to Sac PD to get some evidence about an old case, and Cho is watching Lorelei."

Lisbon frowned harder. "What? I never gave you orders to any of that."

"Jane told us, boss. We assumed it was… okay?" He said, clearly growing nervous.

"Jane is not your boss. I am. Is that understood? Next time, ask me first," she said in a remarkably stern tone, maintaining her professional posture, though clearly upset.

"Sorry boss," Rigsby said apologetically, lowering his gaze with a confused expression.

"I'll be in my office. Let me know when Van Pelt arrives," she said calmly and headed to her office.

She closed the blinds of the window and sat on her office chair. She gently rubbed her temples to calm herself and tried to focus at her work.

* * *

Jane arrived an hour later and hurryingly made his way to Lisbon's office. He entered without knocking, with a clearly irritated expression on his face.

"Come with me," he said sternly, offering his hand.

"What do you want, Jane? I have work to do" she said, keeping her gaze on the paperwork in front of her.

He didn't say anything. He just walked to her and held her, picking up to her feet.

"I don't care. You need to rest. You look awful, Lisbon."

"I'm fine," she responded with a frown, then she attempted to walk away and felt her balance giving up on her. She would fall flat on the floor if it wasn't for Jane to catch her.

"I really worry about you, Lisbon. Please, you need to sleep," he said in a gentle tone. Her expression indicated she was clearly upset about all this but she knew he was right. She had been through a lot. Defeated, she nodded and agreed to let him take care of her.

He carried her to his attic and laid her on his bed. Lisbon watched his every move with hints of awkwardness, but also some secret fascination. Jane treated her carefully, as if she was something precious and vulnerable. He covered her with a blanket and planted a kiss on her forehead. They exchanged slight, comforting smiles before exhaustion quickly led her into a deep slumber.

Jane watched her sleep for a while, stroking her hair gently. Lisbon appeared so relaxed and peaceful in her sleep, it was a sight that made him grin. He carefully got up and left the attic with quiet steps. Shortly after, he received a text from Van Pelt informing him she was back at the CBI with the case file he asked for.

He headed downstairs and found her sitting at the large table, along with Cho and Rigsby.

"Jane? Where is the boss?" She asked slightly confused.

"She was exhausted. We need to let her rest. Did you encounter any problems with Sac PD?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle. They only gave me a funny look when I asked for a closed case. What's going on with this, Jane? It's just some old case of Bosco," she said while passing the file to him.

"It involves Lisbon and Red John," he said, then told them the whole story behind that case.

"Lisbon encountered Red John? And she made it out alive? I'm impressed," Van Pelt said with a shocked as well as astonished expression and tone.

"Do you think you're gonna find a lead in there?" Cho asked plainly.

"I hope so." Jane took a deep breath. "You can leave that to me, guys. You were here all night, go get some rest…"

"Are you sure? It's no big deal, we can stay here and help," Rigsby said with a slight concern.

"If I need anything, I'll call you. Go home," he said and picked up the box of the closed case. "I'll be in my attic."

* * *

Jane sat on his chair and carefully opened the case file. He began studying it and went through some photos of the scene. Now he truly understood Lisbon's reaction to that case. The information of the victim was horrifying. In her statement, she said she met a guy in a bar and when she left, he followed her and took her in against her will. She suffered for two days before Lisbon found her and helped her. According to the doctor, she had several injuries in her lady parts by the abuse and on her wrists by her binds. She was transmitted to the mental hospital under the care of Dr. Franks.

The name of the perpetrator was Thomas McAllister. He was the sheriff of Napa Valley and a much respected person in the society, according to the locals. Red John is known for his connections with members of the Law Enforcement. However, Jane found it strange that nothing of it came out on the press. The death of a sheriff and the injuring of a policeman are things that attract reporters like flies.

He continued his study, trying to find something useful in it. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Lisbon making a waking up humming sound. He left the paperwork and walked to the bed, sitting beside her.

"Where am I?" She asked confused and frowned in a deep and husky voice, expecting to wake up in her bed out of habit.

"In CBI. How are you feeling?" He said in a low, calm voice.

"Awful. My head hurts," she complained tiredly.

Jane gently placed his hand on her forehead and spoke.

"Lisbon, you are burning. You have the fever. I will take you home, can you stand up?"

Lisbon nodded and Jane helped her stand. He wrapped her with the blanket and took the case file with him. Then he wrapped his one arm around her waist and supported her as they headed outside. He opened the car door for her and she nodded thankfully. During the course, she was silent. She looked so pale.

At some point, Jane pulled over next to a store in order to get some supplies of medicine and food. When they arrived at her place, he picked her up in his arms – despite Lisbon's attempted objections – and carried her to the bed. She appeared so tired and weak, and her whole body was shivering because of the fever. Jane felt Lisbon's arms tightening their grip around his neck and he held her closer to his chest. He gently laid her on the bed and covered her with one more blanket.

"Shhh, Lisbon," he said in a low, calm tone, "I am here. Try to get some sleep, okay?" He said and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Lisbon mumbled something and slept again. Jane watched her for a couple of minutes, then went to the kitchen to make some soup for her.

When he finished, he took a few pills in one hand and a glass of water on the other one, and placed them on the bedside table. He ached to see her like this. He got rid of his jacket and shoes and climbed on the bed with her. For a few moments, he listened to her breathing and watched her chest calmly rise and drop.

A few minutes later, Lisbon wrapped her arms around herself and rested her head on his chest while sleeping. He knew she would be mad the moment she would realize that, but he didn't care. He smiled and closed his eyes, until sleep took over him too.

* * *

At some point, Lisbon drifted back into consciousness and felt herself wrapped tightly in a warm embrace. She opened her eyes and realized it was Jane. Her whole body was aching but she felt safe and happy in his arms. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

* * *

When Jane woke up some hours later, he found Lisbon was completely snuggling against him. He smiled for a moment, then he carefully disentangled himself from her arms and quietly slipped out of the bed. Lisbon slightly stirred in protest, which made Jane grin widely. He stroked her hair and went to the kitchen. He warmed some soup for her and made tea. A while later, he returned to her and gently shook her. Lisbon opened her eyes and produced a displeased low moan because of the headache.

"Come on. I made something for you. Wake up, sleepyhead," Jane said with a soft smile.

Lisbon groaned and sat against the headboard.

"I am not hungry," she grumbled.

You need to eat in order to take the medicine. You are still weak, Lisbon. Please. I worry about you."

She puffed out. "Okay, but only a little."

"I can't promise," he said, bearing a light smirk. "Now, open."

Lisbon took some sips of the soup and some of her tea before she spoke again.

"Thank you, Jane. For everything," she said warmly.

"My pleasure. How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm a little dizzy. So… are you going to leave?" She said, her voice indicating she wasn't too eager for that moment.

"I won't go before you recover," he said with a smile.

"I thought you would be all over Red John's case and Lorelei," she said, trying not to sound emotional about it.

"Nah. You are more important. I read the case's file, by the way."

She raised one eyebrow. "And? Any thoughts?"

"Some. Why was nothing of all that known to the press?" He asked, lightly tapping his chin with one finger.

"Bosco told me it might be bad for the department's public image. You know, cause he was an officer too. I didn't really pay attention at that matter," she said and took another sip of her tea.

"I understand," he said. After a while, Lisbon carefully stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said, as it was his turn to raise an eyebrow now.

Lisbon paused and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"To the bathroom. I need to pee and take a shower," she said with hints of sarcasm and a slight smile, and went to the bathroom. Jane chuckled as he watched her.

"If you need any help in there, let me know. I wouldn't mind!" He said amused. A single snort was heard, coming from the bathroom.

* * *

An hour later, they were sitting comfortably on the couch and watching a movie. Jane found himself missing her contact already, but he was hesitant about sitting closer to her. Lisbon watched him from the edge of her eyes and smirked a little.

"So, do you want to share your thoughts about the case?" She asked without taking her eyes off of the TV.

"There's nothing important yet. I was thinking about speaking to that woman. And…" He hesitated.

"I don't think it would be okay to bother her. She suffered enough. What else?" She asked.

"And I would like to put you under hypnosis," he said in a slightly nervous and uncertain tone.

Lisbon's eyes widened in surprise, then she spoke in a more energetic and strict tone.

"No way, Jane. I don't want you in my head."

"I was already there once. I just want you to look into your memories more closely, to be able to describe him. He didn't wear his mask and you might remember something important," he explained calmly, looking in her eyes.

"No. I told you it was dark… and everything happened so fast."

"Okay. Just think about it," he said and turned his gaze on the TV again.

"Fine…" she sighed.

A minute later, she broke the silence calmly.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I may visit that woman and her lawyer. I will also try to break Lorelei," he said, his tone indicating discontentment at the last words.

"Do you think you can actually break Lorelei…? And, why also involve that woman's lawyer?" She asked confused.

"Yes I can," he responded, momentarily rolling his eyes, then spoke again. "As for the lawyer, I found his involvement in the case a little weird. I don't know yet," he said tapping his chin again, as his gaze wandered thoughtfully.

"Okay. Just promise me you will be careful. And that you won't go alone," she spoke the last phrase more sternly.

"Of course, Lisbon. I need my partner with me," he said to her with a warm smile.

Lisbon smiled back and fixed her gaze on the TV again. She found herself relaxing and having a good time, despite the exhaustion and the fever. She had a lot to talk about with Jane, but it could wait. He was there now, and that was all that mattered.


	12. Crescent moon

**I honestly apologize that you guys had to wait so long. I can't explain in how many ways this semester is busy for all of us, especially for me until I complete my diploma thesis. Well, I and my friend are always thankful for your support of this story. For more Mentalist stories, go check her profile, she has written some really juicy ones. :)**

* * *

Jane stayed with Lisbon for three days, until she fully recovered. He left her side only to collect clothes and food supplies from the CBI. The status of their relationship was still complicated and awkward. Lisbon tried to make him leave several times during his stay, keeping a distance between them, both physical and emotional.

Jane could understand her worries and fears and did his best to support her. He kept his own sadness and desperation to himself. He had missed her terribly during all those months in Las Vegas and he wanted nothing but to be around her and make her laugh. Seeing her in that condition was painful, and the first time she told him to leave, he felt his heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

Once they went back to work, Lisbon headed to her office without speaking a word to him. There were currently no open cases, the team had finished their previous day's work, and she was grateful for that. She turned on her computer and started working on her usual paperwork. No matter how much she tried, she just couldn't get rid of those poisonous thoughts about Lorelei and Jane. Her heart pounded achingly in her chest and her body shivered when she pictured them together in her head. She felt like a pathetic teenager who couldn't restrain her feelings for her pain-in-the-ass consultant.

She was moved by his concern about her when she was ill but she couldn't allow herself to be open and vulnerable to him. He had hurt her deeply in his ways and she had to gather her pieces, she needed time to be whole again. She knew Jane cared about her, he even told her he loved her. Could she possibly believe him? Was Jane honest or was that another one of his tricks in order to somehow make things work in his favor?

Jane was an endless mystery to her. There were moments she thought she could see right through him and understand him, and then his actions had her confused all over again. She could never predict his next move. The moment they had arrived, she silently paced to her office and, once in, she felt relief in the feeling of privacy and security it provided her. When they were previously in the car, he had told her that he intended to speak with Lorelei. He wanted to break her, to extract information about Red John. If anyone could do that, it was definitely Jane, thought she couldn't help feeling her heart being squeezed in a slow torment, knowing he was with Lorelei.

"Lisbon?" Jane's voice broke the silence as he opened the door of her office.

Lisbon slightly jumped up as her parade of thoughts was violently interrupted.

"Gosh, Jane, you scared me. Don't you know how to knock?" She hissed.

"My bad. Come on, we have to leave," he hurryingly said and took her jacket from the chair, holding it out for her to wear. Lisbon let out a sigh and stood up, walked to him and reluctantly put on the jacket. She grabbed her purse on as she made her way out of the office and spoke to him.

"Can you tell me where we're going?" She asked lightly frustrated and pressed the elevator switch.

"We're going to have a talk with Dr. Franks, and later with Filipe Carlos," he explained and gently let her walk in the elevator first, once the door opened, then walked in it too.

"The victim's doctor, and the lawyer? Do you think you could get something useful out of them?" She asked raising her eyebrow.

"Of course. If she talked to anyone after her abduction, that would be her doctor or her lawyer," he said, fixing his jacket.

Lisbon nodded and said nothing else. Soon, they were driving to the clinic, where Dr. Franks worked. They were silent during the course and Lisbon decided to speak.

"Is this hard for you…?" She asked discreetly.

"What?" Jane asked confused as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Going in a place like that, I mean… you are familiar with that. It might bring you some old, unpleasant memories," she said softly, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Jane exhaled lightly and turned his gaze away.

"I'm sorry to bring it up," Lisbon continued, "I just want to know if you can handle it. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm fine, Lisbon. Don't worry," he said with a quick smile, and remained silent for the rest of the route.

* * *

Half an hour later they arrived and made their way inside. Dr. Franks' secretary led them to his office and they waited there for him.  
The door opened and a man in his late fifties entered the room. He offered his hand for a handshake and spoke.

"I'm Dr. Franks. You must be the CBI agents… they told me you wanted to see me," he said in a serious but polite manner and sat on his desk chair. He nodded to them and Lisbon sat across him, as Jane stood right behind her, indicating he preferred not to sit.

"That's right, doctor. We would like to talk about a former patient of yours. Mrs. Tiffany Beckett. Do you remember her?" Lisbon asked in her usual professional tone.

"Yes, of course. I took care of her quite some time ago. Poor woman… did something happen to her?" He asked with hints of concern in his voice.

"No, but we would like to know everything she told you about the one who attacked her," Jane answered.

"After all these years? I was under the impression that man was no more. She told me he was dead," the doctor asked with a puzzled expression, fixing his glasses on his face.

"That is true, though new leads came up and we decided to have another look on the case," Lisbon explained, laying back on the chair and crossing her legs.

"I'm sorry but my hands are tied. Patient confidentiality, you see," Dr. Franks said softly, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk, fingers of each hand interlocking together.

"We don't want to know anything about her recovery. We just need to ask about some details. Like, about the abuser's face, voice, etc." Jane said calmly. The doctor pondered for a while and spoke shortly after.

"If I remember correctly, she had no clue about any of that."

"How is that possible? She met him in a bar," Jane frowned.

"Yes, but she was drunk at the time. She told me her memory was blurry."

"Did you attempt to help her remember at any point that night?" Lisbon asked.

"No. She already was in a vulnerable state at the time and I didn't want to bring her more pain," the doctor said, lowering his gaze for a second.  
Jane tapped his chin for a while and spoke.

"I think there's something you are not telling us, doctor. Out with it," he said in a calm but also imposing manner, locking eyes with the doctor.

"It will probably not help your investigation. I don't know if I can tell you," the doctor said hesitantly.

"It could be important," Lisbon protested in a stern tone. She and the doctor locked eyes for a moment, then the older man looked at Jane and, with a sigh, he finally spoke.

"Mrs. Beckett lied to the police. Yes, she was raped by that man that night, but she went with him at her own will. He didn't force her to sleep with him. The next day, she tried to leave and he didn't let her." He paused for a few seconds, he fixed his glasses and continued. "That story is very complicated. I never believed her, I had the feeling she was hiding something from me. That's all I can tell you," he explained and looked at both of them.

"We appreciate your help, Dr. Franks. If you remember anything else, please give us a call," Lisbon said calmly and stood up, offering him her card. They nodded at each other and Jane and Lisbon quietly left the doctor's office.

* * *

"Do you think he was honest with us?" Lisbon asked as soon as they got in the car.

"Yes, I am certain," Jane responded, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"I don't get it. Why did she lie to the police?" Lisbon asked with a puzzled expression.

"We will get there. It's time to pay a visit to her lawyer."

Lisbon let a sigh and started the car. The lawyer's office wasn't far from the clinic. They got there in ten minutes.  
When they reached the office, Mr. Carlos was already in a meeting with a client and they had to wait for some time. Twenty minutes later, the meeting was over and soon they headed inside.

Mr. Felipe Carlos was a man in his middle forties. He had brown hair and dark eyes. He was a quite good looking man, dressed up very elegantly. He was sitting on his desk chair when they entered, and he stood up to shake hands with them.

"Miss Lisbon. I finally meet you in person. And you must be Mr. Jane," he said as he greeted them with a warm smile.

"Someone's done his homework," Jane said with a slightly raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Of course. It is my job to know of the well-known detectives. We have never worked together but your names are famous in the business," he responded, fixing his blazer in a confident manner.

"Is that so…? What have you heard about us, if I might ask?" Jane asked, trying to read that man.

The lawyer indicated to them the two seats in front of his desk. Lisbon and Jane silently took their seats, as Mr. Carlos sat in his own, at the other side of the desk. He leaned closer with his elbows on the desk and responded to the question.

"Miss Lisbon has a very good reputation for her excellent skills as an officer of the law and the leader of her team. They told me she is intelligent, great at her work, kind, and a very beautiful woman. I have to admit, of course, that none of what I had imagined compares to reality," he said and eyed Lisbon up and down with a sly smirk on his face. Then, he spoke again.

"About you, Mr. Jane, the word is, you are a… 'pain in the ass.' Obsessed with a serial killer, cold, willing to go as far as it takes for your cause. You play dirty, however you have managed to close a very considerable amount of cases and that's the reason you are still working for the CBI," he said with a neutral expression and kept looking at Jane in the eyes.

"Is that what you believe about me, Mr. Carlos, or did a little bird inform you?" Jane said with a composed smile, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, I've never met you before. I just told you what I've heard," he responded in the same manner. Then, he turned to Lisbon. "Now, how may I assist you today, agent Lisbon?" He asked in his professional tone.

"It's about an old client of yours. Tiffany Beckett."

"What about her?"

Lisbon fixed her position on her chair and talked in her serious, professional manner, crossing her legs.

"We received some new information about the man who attacked her some years ago. We need to talk to her but we didn't manage to find an address in our system."

"I don't think this is a good idea, agent. She has suffered very much because of that case, this won't do her any good," the lawyer said, breaking the eye contact with her.

"This is essential for our investigation. Do you know where we can find her?" She insisted. The lawyer took a deep breath and leaned on the back of his seat.

"Of course I know. I'm surprised you haven't heard," he said with hints of irony in his tone.

"Heard what?" Lisbon asked, confused.

"She is my wife. She lives with me. When I took over her case, our relationship grew more intimate and we fell in love. We are married for seven years."

"You… married your client?" Jane asked in disbelief.

"I know it's odd but it happens," the lawyer answered a bit sharply.

"Did you know that man was Red John?" Jane asked, still examining the man's face and movements.

"No, I didn't," he said coldly.

"I see. Well, Mrs. Carlos," Jane started, standing up from his chair and holding Lisbon's arm in a hurry, "we have no other questions for now but we shall stay in touch. Have a good day," he said and almost dragged Lisbon out of the office.

Once they were outside, she snapped at him.

"What the hell, Jane? I had more questions to do!"

"I know," he said in a calm tone, "but you wouldn't get any answers. I didn't like the way he looked at you."

Lisbon scoffed. "I can protect myself, Jane. Now speak."

"What do you want me to say?" He said in an innocent manner.

They headed to their car and kept talking as they both entered.

"Come on. The whole story stinks. He is hiding something," she responded, rolling her eyes.

"I agree. It's suspicious."

"That's all you have to say?" Lisbon hissed angrily at him.

Jane gave her a smile and she shook her head, giving up for now. She started the car and they left for CBI.

* * *

During the route, Lisbon's phone started ringing. She quickly slipped it out of her pocket and checked it. It was her boss, Wainwright. Jane watched Lisbon as she talked.

"Hi, boss. Yes, Jane is with me. We will be back in a while." She frowned. "What? When?" She paused. "Sir, please. You can't do this. There's gotta be another way…" She paused once more. "Fine. I'll come talk to you once I get there." She hang up and puffed out nervously.

"What's going on, Lisbon?" Jane asked, concerned.

"It's about Lorelei. They are going to transfer her in the prison tonight, Jane," she said in an almost comforting low tone, not taking her eyes of the road.

"What? They can't do that, Lisbon! You have to do something. I need to break her!" Jane said in a much louder tone, clearly upset.

"You think I wanted this to happen? I can't do anything, Jane. Wainwright told me he will try but it seems impossible to just undo it. You know how these things go," she explained, trying to remain composed.

"Lisbon, you know what is going to happen if she leaves. He will send someone after her," Jane said, lightly rubbing his temple, trying to calm himself.

"I know, but there is nothing I can do. I will try my best, though. I promise, Jane," she said softly, and Jane remained silent, staring outside the window.

* * *

As soon as they parked, they headed straight to Wainwright's office. Jane was furious but they couldn't do anything about it. That night, Lorelei would be sent to prison custody. All Wainwright could do was arranging that Lisbon's team would escort her on the way to the prison, and there, she would be taken under high security measurements.

* * *

Lisbon was heading back to the bullpen when Van Pelt caught her midway.

"Boss, I forgot to tell you. You are awaited in your office."

"By who?" She asked curiously but Van Pelt gave her a smirk. Lisbon rolled her eyes and headed to her office. When she opened the door, her eyes widened.

"What are you doing here?" She said, breaking a smile when she saw Nathan and Kate. They both stood up, smiling back as they approached to greet her.

"We came to tell you some great news… Oh, I missed you," Kate said and pulled her in a quick hug. Lisbon chuckled and spoke shortly after.

"I missed you too. So, what's the big news?" She said as they all took their seats at the desk.

"Well," Nathan started, "after the case with Montgomery, I needed a fresh start. I found out about a job offer and I applied there. I'll start working in a week," he said with a wide smile.

"That's great! I'm happy for you. Where is the new job?" Lisbon asked, laying back on her seat.

"Here, in CBI. I'm the new team leader on the robberies department," he said, grinning even more widely.

"That's amazing, Nathan," she said warmly.

"And it gets better," says Kate. "I'll work with him."

"Really? That is truly amazing," Lisbon said with a smile. "Congratulations to both of you, guys. You deserve it."

"Thank you," said Nathan. "So, what is new with you? You, uh… seem distracted. Is everything alright?" He said with hints of worry in his voice.

"Nothing, really. I came back to work today and everything is a mess, but nothing to worry about."

They talked about all sorts of things, related to the job or not. They stayed there for about an hour. As Nathan and Kate were leaving, Jane saw them while walking down the stairs. He headed to Lisbon's office and spoke as soon as he opened the door.

"What did detective Matthew do here?"

"Hello to you, Jane," she said rolling her eyes. "He and Kate came here to see me. He wanted to announce something."

"And what is that?" He said with frowning face, crossing his arms in his chest.

"It's not your business, Jane," she said with a dead-serious face.

"I disagree. I don't like him."

"Well, you shall get used to him now that he'll be around regularly."

Jane froze. "What do you mean?"

"He's going to work here. In CBI. Isn't that great?" She said with a wide smile, teasing him with her tone.

"No, it's not. What's going on between you and him?" Jane asked, still frowning, now his voice growing colder.

"That's a strange question. I didn't know you care about my personal life," she responded casually, with a dose of irony in her voice.

"I asked you something. Are you two dating?" He said sharply, approaching her desk.

"That's none of your business!" She said irritated, standing up from her chair with her hands on her desk.

"It is," he said, he caught her hands and pulled her against him with force, still bearing that angry expression.

"Let me go," she said sternly and her eyes pierced his.

"Not before you answer my question. I know he has feelings for you. Are you feeling the same way?" He asked in an angry but also desperate voice, looking at her, his eyes begging her to deny it.

Lisbon broke free from his hold and took some steps away, turning her back to him.

"Go, Jane. I have things to do before we take Lorelei to prison," she said bitterly.

"Lisbon…" he began and turned her to face him. As he looked in her eyes, he saw the hurt, the love, the sadness she felt. It was paralyzing. He took her in his arms, in a tight hug.

"What do you want me to do, Lisbon? Say it and I will do it," he said softly, stroking her hair.

"I want to get over with that story. I'm sick of all this," she whispered in his embrace.

"There is nothing I want more, Lisbon, than to keep you safe," he whispered too.

"Jane… hypnotize me," she said, relaxing in his arms and closing her eyes, and Jane froze.

"Why?"

"I might remember something about that night, something that will help us get to him. I want to try it," she said and looked in his eyes eagerly.

"No, Lisbon. I won't do it," he said softly, caressing her shoulders and locking gazes with her. "Just relax. Focus on your breathing."

"But, Jane, I want to. It's okay."

"Teresa, listen to me carefully. Concentrate on my voice. I'm not going to hypnotize you. You can let all the stress flow away from your body," he said, his voice now soft as a whisper.

"Okay."

"Now. I'll count down, starting from one hundred…" he continued, still looking deep in her eyes, "and all your stress will flow away. You will feel relaxed and safe. I won't hypnotize you, Lisbon, so you can just relax. You are not falling into a deep, relaxing, trance state." He paused and Lisbon closed her eyes. Jane gently wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. "Sleep now."

She gradually collapsed on his arms and he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He placed her there into a sitting position, leaning her on the couch's back. Then, he took a chair and sat across her, and began.

"Alright. So, you are taking down the steps… relaxing with every step… and now you reach the bottom. The very last step. The ultimate state of calmness. How are you feeling?" He spoke in a soft and low tone.

"Good," Lisbon mumbled.

"You are going to remain in this relaxing state while you think about that night. You can watch the whole day pass in front of you, as if it's a movie. Every detail is there, if you focus on it. You can zoom into any moment you want. You can fast-forward, you can rewind, you are in complete control. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. What do you see, Lisbon?"

Her eyes fluttered a little and she seemed to focus on the images in her mind as if being in the very scene.

"I had a rough day and I couldn't sleep. I went for jogging, to help myself relax. At some point, I heard a scream. I called for backup but I didn't wait for them. I went inside on my own, and then I saw them."

"What do you see? Can you see their faces?"

"I see a woman crying for help, and a man behind her. I can see her face but not his."

"Continue…" he encouraged her.

"I raised my gun and told him to move away from her, and that I had already called for help. Then, he placed a knife on her neck and before I knew it, he started firing at me with his gun. I ran away and hid behind something. We began exchanging fire, until we both ran out of ammo. Then, he came towards me with the knife."

"Can you see him? Can you describe him?"

"He's not too tall. He has muscles. He is dressed in black and his hood hides his face. I can't see anything."

"You are struggling with him. You take his knife and you stab him. He lies down on the floor. Can you see him now?"

"No. My side hurts. I took my focus away from him and went to free the woman from her bindings."

"Don't go to her yet," Jane said more persistently, " freeze the image to his body. What do you see?"

"He is lying down. His face is on the floor, I can't see him." She slightly frowns. "No… wait. I think I see something."

"What? What do you see, Lisbon?"

"His hand. There's something on his right hand. A scar maybe. It looks like a crescent moon. It's above his thumb…" She breathes deeply. "I can't see anything anymore."

"It's okay. You did great… it's okay," Jane said and placed his hand on Lisbon's forehead, and she woke up shortly after.

She slightly rubbed her face and took a look at Jane, then spoke in a low tone.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I thought I could find something."

"You were great, Lisbon. Believe me," Jane said with a warm smile. Before he had the chance to say anything else, the door opened and Cho entered the office.

"Boss, it's time. Mrs. Martins is ready to be escorted to the prison."

"Thanks, Cho. I'm coming," she said and he left with a nod. She turned to Jane and cleared her voice. "We will continue later. Now, let's go."

* * *

Once everything was ready, they headed downstairs. Lisbon got in the van along with Rigsby and Van Pelt. Cho and Jane would be in the car right behind them. They drove off ten minutes later.

During the course, the car stopped working for some unknown reason, some miles out of the city. Jane knew this was not a good plan. Everything was supposed to be working perfectly, and yet, there they were. They didn't have much of a choice. He and Cho began their best effort to fix the problem, but they had no clue about what was going on with the van.

* * *

The course was going smoothly when an SUV came out of nowhere and hit the van from the side, fiercely driving them off the road. The doors opened violently and men in black rushed out, aiming at the team with their guns. They had come for Lorelei. Lisbon nodded to Rigsby and Van Pelt, and the two sides started exchanging fire. A bullet got Rigsby on the chest. Lorelei grabbed the chance and rushed towards Van Pelt, hitting her and causing her to lose her balance and fall down, finding then the chance to grab her gun too. Lisbon had little choice and lowered her gun.

Van Pelt rushed to Rigsby, shouting and checking on him, but she got no response. She checked for a pulse, and then he didn't find any, tears started running down her eyes like rivers. She screamed and wept at his side. The men in black took Lorelei in their vehicle and Lisbon watched them with bitter anger. There was nothing she could do

She thought they were going to leave, when two of them grabbed her arm and dragged her into the car too. She struggled hard in the beginning, but one of them hit her on her head, so she passed out.

In seconds, they manically drove off in the dark, leaving Van Pelt behind, with the dead body of Wayne Rigsby.


	13. Endgame

**Hello, readers!  
It has been such a long time since we last updated this story, and for that I sincerely apologize. Both me and my friend had our hands so full, it has been a hell of semesters and, honestly, it's my fault really cause most of the time I was in no mood to continue any creative writing at this point.  
Many thanks to my partner, oneiroitane, for her kind understanding and encouraging to continue this story together. It is because of her that this chapter is here now.  
Worry not, though. After this one, there's only one last chapter left, and we'll get to the story's closure in no time.  
Hope you enjoy reading it!  
If you want more Mentalist fanfiction, check oneiroitane!**

* * *

Cho had finally fixed the car and they carried on their way to the prison. Jane reached for his cell phone and hit the first number on his speed dial. Four rings later, the call went to the voicemail.

"Why won't she pick it up?" Jane said with a worried expression, running his fingers in his hair.

"Try Van Pelt. Or Rigsby," Cho replied, and Jane nodded and dialed again.

At first, he called Rigsby without success. A growing concern rose in him as he tried calling Van Pelt this time. She picked it up on the second ring, and she told him all about what happened, in a low hoarse voice between sobs.

Cho heard all about it too. After the call, Jane hung up the phone bitterly, and Cho speeded up and turned on the sirens of the car. He also called for backup and an ambulance for Rigsby.

* * *

They arrived ten minutes later. Jane and Cho spotted the coroner and the medics loading Ribsby's lifeless body in a black bag. Van Pelt was just standing there, crying her eyes out. Cho went to her side and embraced her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and carried on crying.

Jane stood by Rigsby's body and looked at his friend for the last time. He felt waves of anger and bitterness washing through him and clenched his fists. He walked to Van Pelt and asked her about what happened. She told him how they were hit and forced to stop. The ambushers wanted Lorelei and opened fire against the team. She told him what happened to Rigsby and how Lorelei knocked her down too. And then, she explained how they grabbed Lisbon too, and there was nothing she could do all by herself.  
That felt like a final blow to Jane. He tried to calm himself first, then he and Cho comforted Van Pelt and explained to her that it wasn't her fault.

They stayed there until the coroner left with Rigsby's body, and then they returned to CBI. The moment they stepped in, Jane asked Van Pelt information for an address, and two minutes later, he had it. He rushed up to his attic and picked up the gun he had hidden so well in this place. Without further delay, he paced out of the building as fast and discreetly as he could.

He drove like a mad man. Eventually, he reached the place of the address he had collected in less than thirty minutes' driving. He took the gun along, hid it in his jacket and quickly got out of the car. He slammed the door and walked to the house.  
This house belonged to Filipe Carlos and his wife, Tiffany Beckett. Jane managed to enter the place and found Tiffany Beckett at the kitchen.

"Ah, Mr. Jane. I was expecting you," she said perfectly calmly, took the kettle off the stove and filled two cups. "Sugar?"

"Where is he? And where is Lisbon?" Jane almost hissed at her, barely maintaining his composure, as waves of anger seemed to wash through his veins.

"No need to be rude. I don't know what you're talking about," she replied in an innocent tone.

"I'm talking about your husband, Felipe Carlos, or should I say, Red John?" Jane snapped at her. She paused for a second and her previous confusion turned into a smirk.

"Well done, Patrick. He was right. You're a smart one. How did you know?" She said with amusement.

"Does it matter? Where did he take Lisbon?" Jane asked again as rage was growing more apparent on his features.

"Of course it matters. But I don't know anything about your friend. Sorry," she said, bearing the same – almost mocking – smirk.

"I don't believe you. Tell me where he is!" Jane demanded and swiftly picked up his gun and pointed it towards her.

"You are not friendly, Patrick. You've disappointed me," she stated while Jane gave her a bitterly hateful look and armed the gun.

"Today I lost a good friend of mine. Red John is holding another one too. How do you feel, knowing he did all of this for Lorelei?" He asked, hints of subtle satisfaction accompanying the last words.

"Oh, please. She means nothing to him," she replied, ironically laughing.

"Is that so? He just helped her escape. Why would he do so if she didn't mean anything to him? He could just kill her. It's easier," Jane said plainly, regaining some of his composure as he saw how his words started affecting Tiffany.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Tiffany snapped.

"The only reason he kept you is because you might talk about that night, when Lisbon found you. You were there in your own free will, weren't you?" Jane continued.

"Yes. We love us some role-playing, and she ruined it," Tiffany responded.

"It's amusing really, how well he pulls your every string. You just can't see it," Jane said, satisfaction showing on his face now, his lips forming a smirk.

"Can't see what?" She snapped at him angrily.

"How he's using you. He is really good. Tell me, how do you feel when he visits Lorelei?" He asked with an apparent fake curiosity, adding to the irony of his tone.

"He's not using me! I'm his wife and he loves me. Lorelei is nothing to him!" Tiffany eventually yelled at him.

"I beg to disagree. Prove it. Let's go and find him, see what he has to say. He is with Lorelei right now. Let's see if he stands by your side in her presence," Jane said with a smirk, finally having her where he wanted.

Tiffany remained quiet for a moment. Then she grabbed her keys and her jacket while heading towards the door.

"Follow me," she said, and Jane followed her with rising satisfaction as much as hope that she would lead him where he achingly wanted to be right now. She got in her car, in the driver's seat, and Jane sat beside her.

* * *

She drove for over an hour. They had left the town ten miles before. Eventually, Tiffany slowed down and parked right outside another house.  
She turned to Jane.

"I'm going inside. Are you coming?" She asked him with a serious look.

"Go ahead. I will be a distraction," Jane answered calmly, trying to gain some time in order to find Lisbon first.

Tiffany nodded and hurryingly got out of the car, making sure she was armed. She paced to the door and slowly made her way inside.

At the same time, Jane got out and carefully examined the building for a back door. When he found it, he carefully approached and made his way in with quiet steps. Shortly after, he found Lisbon tied up onto a chair, fortunately awake. However, she wasn't alone in the room. One of Red John's men was watching her strictly.

Jane could hear voices coming from the other room. He assumed it was Lorelei and Red John, found by Tiffany. When a loud bang echoed from that room, the man got distracted and Jane seized the chance and hit him on the head with the gun's handle.  
The man let out a scream, but was muffled by Jane's hand. Jane laid him on the floor quietly and rushed to Lisbon's side, who watched the whole scene with eyes wide open.

Jane removed the fabric that covered her mouth and untied the cords which bounded her hands. Once she was free, Jane pulled her in a tight hug, burying his face in her hair.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Jane whispered in a hushed, but worried tone.

"No. He didn't even come to check on me. How did you get here?" Lisbon asked in the same tone eagerly.

"Tiffany Beckett brought me. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay," he responded, planting a kiss on her temple.

"Mrs. Beckett? How did she…?" Lisbon began to ask but was shortly interrupted by Jane.

"Listen. We don't have much time. The lawyer, her husband, is Red John. He has the mark you remembered through the hypnosis. There's a car outside. You need to leave," Jane said, looking her in the eyes with a serious expression.

"No. I'm not leaving you. Forget it," Lisbon demanded seriously.

"Lisbon, it's not the time to be stubborn. I need you to be safe. Please. I need to do this alone," Jane begged, looking deeply in her eyes, but Lisbon shook her head no.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the other room:_

Tiffany entered the place slowly, trying not to make a single sound. When she was inside, she managed to take one of Red John's men down and carefully walked upstairs. She could hear voices and moans coming from the bedroom and she closed in and took a peek through the crack. She spotted Lorelei on her knees, right in front of Red John. She was taking care of her husband… orally. He was clearly pleased and held his eyes shut, moaning and holding Lorelei in place with his hands.  
Tiffany quickly felt a growing rage escalating in her rapidly, and she busted the door open with such force it banged on the wall.

"What the hell is going on here?" She snapped at the shocked lovers.

"Tiffany, what the hell are you doing here?" Red John asked upset as he stood up to fix his clothes in a hurry.

"I came to witness your betrayal with my own eyes! How could you do this to me?" Tiffany hissed. Red John gained his composure and looked at her with a serious face.

"I'm not going to apologize for it," he stated plainly.

"I'm your wife!" She yelled loudly, and Lorelei burst in laughter after that.

"Oh, honey. The reason you're still here is because of pity. You are old now and he needs a young companion by his side. Not some crazy, old bitch," Lorelei said with a provoking smirk.

Tiffany lost it. With quick moves, she opened her jacket and took out a gun, firing at Lorelei three times. Lorelei screamed in pain and fell on the floor, covered in her blood. Reigned by her rage, Tiffany stood over her and fired two more times on her chest.  
Before she managed to turn on her husband, he grabbed her hand and claimed the gun. He slapped her hard, causing her to fall on the floor as she cried.

"Why did you come here? You were fine when I left you," Red John asked her coldly.

"Patrick helped me see the truth. I didn't believe him at first, until I saw you with my own eyes," she responded bitterly, bracing herself.

"Did you bring him here?" He asked coldly but Tiffany didn't answer. "You stupid bitch. He used you to get to me," he said, and picked up his knife from the table.

"Everything will end tonight," he continued with a smirk. He was about to leave the room when he heard Tiffany speaking bitterly.

"I wish he kills you. Go to hell, sweetie."

"I shall see you there," Red John replied hatefully, kicking her hard on the stomach, and left the room.

* * *

Jane and Lisbon were rushing outside towards the car. Before they managed to reach it, Red John made it outside and began shooting at them. Jane covered Lisbon with his body as they rushed to find cover behind the SUV.

"Come on, Patrick. Stop hiding. You have always wanted to find me. I'm here! What are you waiting for?" Red John said as the last words trailed off in an ironic laughter, while he walked around, trying to take them by surprise.

Jane brought out his gun on one hand, and held Lisbon's hand with his other one. He was worried as she was still in danger. He couldn't risk her getting hurt. He tried taking a peek through the car's mirror but it was too dark.  
He tiptoed carefully, his heart racing in anguish, when all happened too fast.

Red John tried to grab Lisbon in order to use her as a shield, but Lisbon fought back. She punched him hard on the face, causing him to take two dizzy steps back. Jane didn't hesitate and raised his gun and fired two times, getting Red John on the chest. One of the bullets was planted in his heart, and he fell on the ground dead.

Jane stood up slowly, trying to recover from the shock of the moment. He walked closer and gazed at Red John's dead body. He took a moment or two to recover his breath and to calm his racing heart. Everything was finally over.

"Jane?" Lisbon called from behind him.

He faced Lisbon and found her looking at him with a blank expression. Shortly after, she walked close and hugged him tight.

"It's over. Really over, this time," she whispered in his ear and Jane found himself finally relaxing against her, letting go of all the tension.

Lisbon felt him shiver a little and held him even tighter.

"You scared the hell out of me," Jane whispered in her neck.

"Hush! Don't think about it anymore. We are safe now…" she said, and kissed him on his temple tenderly.

They almost died that night. But nothing of that terrible night mattered anymore, they were alive, safe, and most of all, they were together.


End file.
